China has opened a new ocean navigation line linking one of its
port cities in the east with Inchon, the second largest port city
of the Republic of Korea.
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Lianyungang, located in east China's Jiangsu
Province, is known as one of the two ends of the Eurasian
continental bridge, together with Rotterdam of Netherlands.
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Lianyungang is 393 sea miles (about 452 miles) from Inchon. The new
nautical navigation line applies de luxe passenger-freighters with
satellite communication, clinic, swimming pool, duty free shop, and
public place of entertainment.
The passenger-freighter runs regularly. It sets out from
Lianyungang each Monday and Thursday and from Inchon each Tuesday
and Saturday.
China's first navigation line to the ROK was opened in
September, 1990, almost two years before the two countries
established diplomatic relations. The first line was 90 sea miles
(about 103.6 miles) between Weihai City of east China's Shandong
Province and Inchon, the shortest nautical distance between the two
countries.
Following Weihai, Dalian, Yingkou, Dandong cities of northeast
China's Liaoning Province neighboring the Democratic People's
Republic of Korea (DPRK), Rizhao City of Shandong Province, opened
navigation lines linking Inchon in succession.
The navigation service mainly aims at business people shuttling
between the two countries besides a smaller number of passengers
visiting their relatives or friends.
Sino-ROK trade relations have witnessed skyrocketing progress
since 1992. The trade volume rose to 90 billion US dollars in 2004
from five billion US dollars in 1992. China has become the biggest
trade partner of the ROK.
The biggest trade surplus of the ROK in 2004, which stood at
20.2 billion US dollars, came from its trade with China, according
to the official statistics released by the ROK on January
11.?
(Xinhua News Agency February 9, 2005)