China Daily:

In recent years, Tianjin has made continuous efforts to develop itself into an international shipping center and a green port. In particular, the metropolis unveiled an action plan for the integrated development of its port, industry, and city. Could you please introduce your achievements and future plans in this regard? Thank you.

Zhang Gong:

Thank you for your question. I will once again give the floor to Mr. Liu.

Liu Guiping: 

Thank you very much for your interest in Tianjin. Tianjin, a city built by the sea, has thrived thanks to its port. In recent years, we have fully implemented the important instructions given by General Secretary Xi Jinping during his inspection of Tianjin Port, thus accelerating the integrated development of the port, industry, and city.

The construction of a world-class, smart, and green hub port is advancing rapidly. We have launched China's first unmanned driving demonstration port zone and built the world's first "smart zero-carbon" wharf. Tianjin Port connects to three Eurasian continental bridges leading to Erenhot, Manzhouli, and Khorgos ports. We maintain economic and trade exchanges with over 500 ports in more than 180 countries and regions, offering 145 container shipping routes and operating over 550 monthly liner services. As previously mentioned, Tianjin Port handled over 22 million TEUs of containers and 558 million tons of cargo last year, ranking eighth and 10th worldwide, respectively. We are committed to the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. Tianjin Port serves as a crucial measure of Beijing's business environment. To better support Beijing's development, we have established a Beijing-Tianjin coordinated port service center in Beijing. Additionally, we have aided the development of Xiong'an New Area by creating a service center in Xiong'an Comprehensive Bonded Zone. We offer 44 sea-rail intermodal transport channels covering the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and northeast, north, and northwest China. Last year, our throughput reached 1.227 million TEUs, placing us third in China in this category.

The supportive role of port-related industries continues to strengthen. Last year, Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Co., Ltd (DSIC) Tianjin Shipbuilding Co., Ltd.  delivered three 16,000-TEU container ships with independent intellectual property rights. The 1.2 million-ton Sinopec Nangang ethylene project reached the conditions for trial production. The Tianjin International Petroleum & Gas Exchange Center began trial operations. Last year, Tianjin International Cruise Home Port welcomed 85,000 inbound and outbound passengers, ranking first in the country.

The integrated development of the port, industry, and city is accelerating mutual empowerment. Leading shipping companies, such as China COSCO Shipping Corporation Limited, are expanding their presence in Tianjin at an accelerated pace. Last year, the company signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the municipal government. The company is expected to add two more ocean shipping routes next month. The development of the shipping service cluster zone is also speeding up. Last year, over 1,000 new shipping service enterprises were registered, up 13.5% year on year. The first Tianjin International Shipping Industry Expo was held last year, enhancing the service radiation capacity and international influence of Tianjin Port. The expo will be held annually, with this year's edition scheduled for July.

Next, we will focus on building a key strategic hub in northern China to facilitate the "dual circulation" of domestic and overseas markets, and we will spare no effort in promoting the integrated development of the port, industry, and city. Specifically, we aim to make improvements in four areas, known as the "Four Enhancements." First, we will enhance port support capabilities by accelerating the development of multimodal transportation involving roads, railways, sea, and air, optimizing the loading, unloading and transport system, and improving port throughput, cargo handling capacity, and distribution capabilities. Second, we will enhance port operation levels by promoting smart, green, and low-carbon development with high-end cargo specialization, value-added services, and efficient management. Third, we will enhance the quality of port-related industrial development by fully utilizing marine resources, focusing on the development of port and maritime economies, and creating new business formats and models. Fourth, we will enhance the development of the port city by promoting urban planning, functional layout, environmental improvement, and business design to create a port city landscape. Thank you!