COSCO Shipping Lines and its intra-Asia unit, Shanghai Pan Asia Shipping, have launched a service connecting Jinzhou port in China’s north-eastern Liaoning province, to Yangpu port on Hainan island.
The service began on 23 June, with the 5,089TEU Tian Long He departing Jinzhou New Age Container Terminal, calling at Qinzhou port in Beibu Gulf, and then arriving in Yangpu’s Xiaochantan Port on 3 July.
The new service is part of a wider plan to develop the Hainan Free Trade Port and was launched just weeks after some industrial parks were opened on the island-province. Government and port officials also hope that the service will help boost cargo volumes from the Chinese hinterland.
On 1 June, China released the development plan for the Hainan Free Trade port, aiming to build Hainan, the country’s southernmost province, into a globally influential, high-level, free-trade port by the middle of the century.
Present at the ceremony for Tian Long He’s departure from the Jinzhou terminal were Jinzhou’s vice-mayor Ma Haifeng, vice-chief of Shenyang customs department, Wang Yansheng and Shanghai Pan Asia’s general manager Zhu Tao.
Shanghai Pan Asia’s Assistant General Manager, Huang Feiwu, said the construction of a new international land and sea trade channel are new tasks put forward by the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Committee and the State Council.
Huang said that Shanghai Pan Asia will continue to invest in Jinzhou port, improve service capabilities, and promote the continuous integration of container services in the north and south of China.
Martina Li
Asia Correspondent
