ThePaper.cn:

Mr. Gong just said that Shanghai has ranked first worldwide for 14 consecutive years in terms of container throughput. However, I have learned that Shanghai still has some work to do to catch up with London and Singapore in the shipping service sector. So, how does Shanghai plan to improve itself in this regard? Thank you.

Hua Yuan:

Thank you for your question. Mr. Gong discussed this subject in his opening speech, and I will add some details.

You all know that Shanghai had essentially established itself as an international shipping center by 2020. The city boasts various resources and elements for developing the shipping industry, well-developed shipping service functions, an excellent business environment, and efficient shipping and logistics services. Currently, we are focused on improving this international shipping center. The most important task is to quickly address the weaknesses in high-end shipping services to comprehensively enhance the global allocation of shipping resources. By making breakthroughs in high-end shipping services, we plan to further strengthen Shanghai’s role as an international shipping center and promote the digital, intelligent, and green transformation of the shipping industry to make a greater contribution to implementing major national strategies. This involves work in three aspects:

First, we should improve services. We should make efforts to develop shipping-related insurance, maritime arbitration, and other high-end shipping services. Regarding shipping-related insurance, we aim to leverage the construction of an international reinsurance center, facilitate innovation in shipping-related insurance products and business models, and enhance the underwriting capacity of shipping-related insurers in the global market. In terms of maritime arbitration, we will fully implement the Regulations of Shanghai Municipality on Promoting the Development of an International Commercial Arbitration Center enacted at the end of last year, research ad hoc arbitration, and offer support for overseas arbitration and dispute settlement organizations to set up and operate branches in Shanghai, and encourage business entities to prioritize Shanghai as the preferred place for dispute settlement.

Second, we will strengthen the hub. Generally speaking, we will continue to improve the construction of the "three ports and one system," which includes seaports, airports, cruise ports and the collection and distribution system. We will accelerate the development of significant projects, such as the Xiaoyangshan North Operation Area, Shanghai East Railway Station, and the fourth expansion phase of Shanghai Pudong International Airport. In addition, we will step up efforts to develop multimodal transportation, including water-to-water transfer and sea-rail intermodal transport, and actively support the growth of the cruise economy.

Second, we will promote transformation, focusing on both smart and green transformation. In terms of smart transformation, by focusing on blockchain technology, we aim to enhance Shanghai's international container transportation service platform. We will accelerate the building of a demonstrative platform for piloting the shipping trade digitalization. Regarding green transformation, our priority is to advance the establishment of a green shipping corridor between Shanghai Port and Los Angeles Port. Additionally, we are expediting the development of clean fuel supply chains for ships, including green methanol and LNG. Furthermore, we intend to encourage the adoption of eco-friendly transportation methods, such as pure electric vessels.

That's all for my answer, thank you.