[photopress:shenzhen_port.jpg,full,alignright]Shenzen wants to turn its bonded logistics zone into a free port, despite reports that authorities are against extending the numbers of such ports.
Li Zongjie, spokesman of the Shenzhen Administration Bureau of Bonded Zone, said, ‘We are actively preparing the materials and plan to submit them to the provincial authority soon, with the final decision in the hands of the central government.’
There are media reports that a number of top authorities suggested suspending the approval of new free ports so that the existing ones have an easier ride.
Zhou Tianlin, director of the Shenzhen Port & Shipping Administration Department, a division of the Shenzhen Port Administration, said, ‘It makes no sense that the country would stop approving new free ports as long as the conditions are ripe, new free ports are possible,’
If the application is approved, Yantian would be the fourth free port on the mainland. The other three are Yangshan free port at Shanghai, Dongjiang free port at Tianjin and Dayao Bay free port in Dalian.
Industrial experts said Shenzhen is qualified to become a free port, but they doubted whether the upgrade could have a real impact on the growth of the ports.
Wang Guowen, a senior researcher with China Development Institute, a leading policy consultancy company, said, ‘It will make no difference if you go from the previous port-zone interaction to a free port if the latter can’t launch free currency exchanges and opene financial arrangements.’
If Shenzhen could have a real free port, such as Hong Kong, it could work together with Hong Kong to compete with other Asian ports, including Pusan of South Korean and Singapore.
Both Zhou and Wang forecast cargo and container throughput handled by Shenzhen ports will rise thanks to booming foreign trade in the Pearl River Delta.
Source: China Daily