Senior officials and shipping experts expect the Dalian Dayaowan Bonded Port Area to open Northeast China up to the outside world.

"The construction of the Dayaowan Port Area will help the cluster of ports in Northeast China compete in the international market," said Wang Zhongyu, vice-chairman of National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference." The competition in the international shipping market is fierce. Neighboring countries like South Korea and Japan are also integrating their port-related resources to build international transportation hubs."

The State Council approved the establishment of Dalian Dayaowan Bonded Port Area last August. It will be the third such area in the country after Yangshan Port in Shanghai and Dongjiang Port in Tianjin.

According to the development plan, which is awaiting approval by the General Administration of Customs, the port area is expected to go into operation by the end of June. The first phase of construction on the port area has started within a 6.88 square kilometer area designated for the project, said Zhang Shikun, director of the Dalian Administration of Bonded Area.

Soon after reports about the bonded port area were made public, logistics giants from around the world, including the US-based Pyologis, have become involved with the port construction, Zhang said. "The bonded port area will one day be turned into a free trade zone once we have completed several logistics projects relating to oil, ore, grain and autos. We also have to enlarge the Dayaowan Container Terminals, the existing bonded area and export processing area," Zhang said.

Dalian has established several land ports in recent years in an effort to expand the operations of the bonded area for export-oriented enterprises.

To improve the handling capability of the cluster of ports in Liaoning Province, the government launched a program last year to speed up the refurbishment of the five ports along the coasts of the Bobai and Yellow seas.

Source:未知