Ports planned near to Taiwan

Two new port complexes are planned for the southeast coast near Taiwan in what is being seen as a move toward "free trade" with the island, state media reported. The shipping centers, one of which will be based near the city of Xiamen and the other on the south coast of Guangdong province, will be part of the "Western Shore Economic Zone". The Xiamen facility is to be principally based in Zhangzhou, with Fuzhou, Quanzhou and Putian also involved, and will serve as a hub for imports of crude oil and natural gas. Meanwhile, the Guangdong complex, which would link the cities of Zhanjiang and Fangcheng with Haikou on Hainan island, has been earmarked for reserve imports of crude oil and natural gas as well as mineral resources.