Striving to write a new chapter in accelerating building a country with great transport strength, the first batch of 14 special pilot projects for optimizing port functions was announced

Recently, the General Office of the Ministry of Transport issued the Circular on Announcing the Projects of the Pilot Program for Optimizing Port Functions as a Part of the Initiative to Build a Country with Great Transport Strength (1st Batch) (hereinafter referred to as the Circular) to announce the first batch of 14 projects.

Promoting the optimization of the functions of existing ports and terminals is an important measure to implement the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress, promote the Program of Building National Strength in Transportation and the Program of Planning for National Comprehensive and Multidimensional Transportation Network, and accelerate the building of a country with great transport strength. It is also a crucial aspect of the mid-term evaluation and adjustment of the 14th Five-Year Plan for water transportation development and its implementation. Furthermore, it is a long-term, step-by-step, and continuously improving system project. To further implement the Program of Building National Strength in Transportation, the Program of Planning for National Comprehensive and Multidimensional Transportation Network, and the Five-year Action Plan for Building China into a Transport Powerhouse (2023-2027), optimize the infrastructure structure, functions, and system integration of existing ports, and build world-class ports that are green, low-carbon, intelligent, and efficient, the Ministry of Transport organized the pilot program for optimizing port functions as a part of the initiative to build a country with great transport strength, aiming to accelerate the construction of a country with great transport strength and write a new chapter for the development of water transport. Through local applications, expert consultations, guidance and improvements, and coordinated research, 14 projects have been included in the first batch of pilot projects.

The first batch of pilot projects focused on four key issues. The first is to focus on implementing national strategies, enhance port capacity and resilience in an integrated manner, consolidate and strengthen the core strength of coastal ports, and ensure the stability of the industrial and supply chains. The second is to focus on key core technologies and achieve higher-level independent innovation in areas such as automated terminal operating systems, transportation equipment, management platforms, and BeiDou applications. The third is to focus on resource-intensive utilization and make full use of existing shorelines, water areas, land resources, and facilities to tap potential, shore up weak links, and improve efficiency. The fourth is to focus on new business formats and models, establish a new energy structure system for ports, promote the integration of transportation and energy development, accelerate the transformation of old port areas, and promote the integration of port and city as well as transport and tourism in development.

The Circular requires that, based on existing port terminals, a focus should be placed on professional upgrading, intensive efficiency, intelligent empowerment, and green quality improvement. It emphasizes the exploration of new technologies, methods, models, and scenarios in areas such as terminal function renovation, port intelligence transformation, and green and low-carbon transformation, aiming to form a batch of advanced experiences and exemplary results. It stresses to fully leverage the demonstration and leading role of the first batch of pilot projects, strengthen the promotion and application of pilot results, drive the optimization and upgrading of existing port terminal functions, activate a large-scale stock of port resources, enhance port service and support capabilities, and improve the level of high-quality development.