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Yangshan deep water port. |
Shanghai is to be developed into an international shipping centre with a world-class resource capability by 2020.
It certainly has the backing of the influential official document recently released on the development of advanced manufacturing, modern services and international shipping and financial services.
Shanghai's functions as an international shipping centre will mainly centre around the North Bund, Lujiazui, Yangshan Bonded Port, Lingang New City and the Waigaoqiao Bonded Area.
The objective of building "one base and three centres" includes turning the North Bund shipping service cluster into a base for corporate headquarters and building an international cruise terminal with a port service centre.
Shanghai's North Bund lies at the confluence of the Suzhou Creek and the Huangpu River. It starts from Dalian Road and Qinhuangdao Road in the east and ends at Henan North Road in the west, extending from Huangpu Road and the Suzhou Creek in the south to Haining Road and Zhoujiazui Road in the north.
It's a planned area of 3.6 sq km with a shoreline extending for 3.5 km along the Huangpu River and the Suzhou Creek.
As the core functional area of the Shanghai international shipping centre, the North Bund must accelerate the building of its soft environment and focus on the development of shipping business, maritime law, shipping finance and insurance, and shipping information industries.
It's expected to provide services of high quality to Shanghai's logistics and shipping industries and give embodiment to Shanghai’s soft power as an international shipping centre.
In the next few years, the North Bund will bring into play its regional superiority and shipping industry foundation, drawing strength from shipping and logistics industries and associations.
There'll be concentrated efforts to attract shipping companies, especially big world-class liners, logistics enterprises, shipping agents, freight forwarders, maritime law firms and convention and exhibition organisers.
It will also accelerate building of the shipping market, develop shipping and logistics service industries, including shipping finance and insurance, arbitration, notarial and assaying services, information service and human resources training.
The idea is to foster the three major functions of shipping market services, logistics and international shipping.
from Cherry Chen, Shanghai Office
(Image courtesy of Xinhua News Agency)
