Recently, nine departments including the Ministry of Transport ("MOT") have jointly issued the Guiding Opinions on Building World-class Ports (the "Guiding Opinions").
The overall goal set in the Guiding Opinions states that we will make a significant progress in building world-class ports by 2025; the overall development level of nationwide ports will be enhanced by 2035; and world-class ports will be successfully built by 2050 when several world-class port clusters have taken shape, with their development level ranking forefront in the world. To this end, the Guiding Opinions map out 19 key tasks including improving the integrated services at ports, developing smart port systems and proactively fostering the coordinated development of ports and shipping business, in six aspects including striving to enhance the integrated service capacity at ports, speeding up the building of green ports and expediting the building of smart ports. Among others, the Guiding Opinions propose launching a program on development of specialized, competitive and distinctive business among small- and medium-sized port enterprises, strengthening interactions between ports to collaboratively develop and improve the professionalized port service networks, and inspiring port and shipping enterprises to promote the interaction and association between port and shipping business through property right swaps, collaborative development, joint operation, cooperation in operating shipping routes, etc. so as to achieve win-win results.