14 Friday, March 16, 2018 CHINA DAILY Zhanjiang to tap geographical advantages to aid development Relying on its geographical advantages and resources, Zhanjiang is opening up its economy in cooperation with overseas markets. PENG CHANGQING / FOR CHINA DAILY Coastal city in Guangdong province looks to deepen economic, shipping, tourism links with neighbors By CHEN HONG to end on March 20. Zhanjiang foreign companies involved ing a world tourism destination, [email protected] is located at a strategic position in transportation, storage and Jiang said. where the provinces of Guang- shipping to set up regional cen- “Zhanjiang and Hainan share Zhanjiang in Guangdong dong and Hainan, as well as the ters in the city. some similarities in coastal province will establish wider Guangxi Zhuang autonomous Zhanjiang Port is expected tourism but their characteris- connections with nearby cities region meet. We will fully to develop into a South China tics are different. Zhanjiang is and overseas markets to help Domestically, Zhanjiang aims exert Zhanjiang’s distribution center for ironstone lagging behind in the industry its economy thrive, according to to become more closely linked and petroleum, a logistics center and we see this as a significant the city’s top officials. with the well-developed cities of geographical for grain and chemical fertilizer opportunity.” “We highlight the new devel- Guangdong province, such as from western and central Chi- The city signed a tourism opment strategy of innovation, Shenzhen, Foshan and Zhuhai, advantages and na, an exchange center for bulk cooperation agreement with coordination, environmental by setting up industrial coop- commodities and a regional Haikou, capital city of Hainan, protection, opening and sharing eration zones, the mayor said. fully tap domestic transportation center for con- which encourages tourism to make the city a new econom- As a part of the Beibu Gulf, tainers and bonded logistics, companies from both cities to ic drive of the province,” said which is encircled by the and overseas Mayor Jiang said. mutually develop travel routes Zheng Renhao, Party secretary Leizhou Peninsula — where Marine development is one of and attract more tourists. The of Zhanjiang. Zhanjiang is located — Hainan Zheng Renhao (center), Party secretary of Zhanjiang, visits a local markets and the city’s main industrial strate- government is also seeking sup- The coastal city has the eighth island, Guangxi and Vietnam, enterprise. LANG SHUCHEN / FOR CHINA DAILY resources.” gies to revitalize its economy, port from relevant departments largest economy of the 21 cit- the city is seeking greater eco- along with enhancing major to extend the incentive policies ies in Guangdong, with its GDP nomic collaboration with its Jiang Jianjun, mayor of industrial projects’ efficiency, for Hainan travel companies to reaching 279 billion yuan ($44.2 neighbors. Road Initiative, Jiang said. area that covers 11,693 square Zhanjiang upgrading traditional indus- link up with Zhanjiang, accord- billion) in 2017, representing The city authorities have “We will deepen coopera- kilometers, roughly 10 times the tries, and accelerating the devel- ing to the mayor. year-on-year growth of 8 per- worked with other cities in the tion in terms of business, trade, size of Hong Kong, or nearly six opment of modern services and In Zhanjiang, the govern- cent. gulf to map out the area’s over- science, technologies and cul- times larger than Tokyo. 300,000-metric-tonnage vessels high-tech industries. ment has introduced the OCT The city’s Mayor Jiang Jian- all transportation plan and pro- ture with the Association of Besides, as the Chinese city to pass through, Jiang said. Coastal tourism will also be Group, a State-owned tourism jun said: “We will fully exert mote the integration of ports Southeast Asian Nations, the with the longest coast line at After the planned improve- an important part of the marine and culture company based in Zhanjiang’s geographical advan- and shipping resources. European Union and countries 1,243 kilometers, Zhanjiang ments, which would allow economy in the city. Shenzhen, to design the road tages and fully tap domestic and The city has also tightened and regions in South Asia, the boasts an even more spacious 400,000- tonnage ships A new ferry terminal at along the coastline of the Lei- overseas markets and resources, economic links across the Middle East and Africa,” Jiang sea area that covers about through, the port would be a Xuwen in Zhanjiang is expected zhou peninsula, inspired by the to upgrade the city’s opening-up Qiongzhou Strait that separates noted. 20,000 sq km. It has one of the truly international passageway to be operated this year, which United States’ Highway 1, Jiang to reach a bigger scale, a wider Zhanjiang and Hainan island, As a result, the city’s busi- best natural deepwater ports, that would have direct sea traf- will reduce the time it takes to said. The project will begin con- variety of sectors and a higher and has set up an economic nesses will become more com- which handled 900,000 twen- fic with more than 150 countries cross the Qiongzhou Strait to struction this year, he added. level.” cooperation zone with Beihai of petitive in the global markets ty-foot equivalent units in 2017 and regions, he said. reach Hainan island from the “The road will connect all of A deputy to the 13th National the Guangxi. for cane sugar, feedstuff, agri- and aims to surpass 1 million According to the mayor, current three hours to around the city’s tourism attractions, People’s Congress, Jiang made Externally, Zhanjiang plans cultural and marine products, this year. The local govern- Zhanjiang Bonded Logistics one and a half hour. This will including the coastal, cultural the remarks during the annual to advance its opening-up, with home appliances and construc- ment is applying to upgrade Center has a high priority on facilitate deeper tourism inte- and rural features, which will session of the legislative body an emphasis on countries and tion, to name a few, he added. its deepwater channel, which the local government’s agenda, gration between Zhanjiang and accelerate tourism develop- in Beijing, which is scheduled regions involved in the Belt and Zhanjiang has a spacious land is currently capable of allowing which will attract domestic and Hainan, as the latter is becom- ment.” Transport network Entrepreneurs invest funds in, projects launched, bring new ideas to hometown boosting integration By CHEN HONG improve the business environ- lion yuan in total over the past ment and governance to better 10 years to build up a tourism Entrepreneurs from Zhanji- serve companies, Zheng noted. resort in the city. The area is By CAO YINGYING to operate alongside the Shen- ang, a southern China coastal Zhanjiang’s private sector characterized by the culture, [email protected] zhen-Zhanjiang line. city, have invested generously in contributed more than 60 per- traditions and customs of the Construction has also picked their hometown to beef up the cent of its GDP in 2017, accord- Leizhou Peninsula, where Zhan- Zhanjiang in Guangdong up on railway lines connect- local economy. ing to official figures, with -add jiang is located. Born and raised province has made great break- ing Zhanjiang with Hepu in According to statistics from ed value increasing 7.7 percent in Leizhou area of Zhanjiang, throughs in the construction of the Guangxi Zhuang autono- A view of the expanding Zhanjiang Port. LI BO / FOR CHINA DAILY the local government, Zhan- year-on-year to reach 181.8 bil- Chen has grown his company transportation infrastructure mous region, Haikou in Hainan jiang entrepreneurs and the lion yuan. The data also show from a leading food processing construction since the city was province, and Guangzhou in chambers of commerce they that investment from the pri- brand to a conglomerate with positioned as a national com- Guangdong, as well as a tour- In addition, the city will have joined have invested near- vate sector accounted for nearly businesses ranging from hotels prehensive traffic hub last year. ism railway line connecting accelerate the construction of ly 80 projects in the city since 70 percent of the city’s total. and wine trade to tourism and According to Jiang Jianjun, Zhangjiajie in Hunan province expressways such as the Yulin- 2013, with the total investment Entrepreneurs from Zhan- cultural industries since 2002. mayor of Zhanjiang, the city and Haikou. Zhanjiang expressway, build reaching 146.4 billion yuan jiang have set up at least 19 “I am willing to do something has drawn up comprehensive The government plans to the Zhanjiang section of the ($23.2 billion). chambers of commerce across good to make my hometown transportation development complete construction on the The city will launch Guangdong coastal highway “Zhanjiang is in its peak the country, with investment better, without thinking about plans. west high-speed railway sta- and expand the Maoming- development period. We hope ranging widely from aqua- commercial returns or seek- This year, Zhanjiang’s gov- tion and promote electrifica- construction Zhanjiang expressway. these entrepreneurs will use the culture and agricultural and ing personal reputation, just ernment plans to invest 20.6 tion modifications on the The Zhanjiang stretch of the opportunities in their home- marine products processing, because of the natural connec- billion yuan ($3.27 billion) to Maoming-Zhanjiang rail line to of port and Shantou-Zhanjiang express- town to introduce more devel- to construction, hospitality and tion between me and my home- launch 37 major transporta- ensure the smooth operation of shipping projects way has already entered oper- opment ideas, innovative tech- finance. town,” Chen said. tion projects, including the the Shenzhen-Zhanjiang high- ation, with 300 kilometers of nologies, investment projects, Chen Yu, chairman of the Zhanjiang’s entrepreneurs construction of an interna- speed railway in June.