No efforts will be spared to develop Shanghai into an international shipping center, government and city officials said at an industry conference in the city yesterday.
"Shanghai should focus on transforming its development mode and we shall spare no efforts to encourage Shanghai to take the lead in achieving its target," Minister of Transport Li Shenglin said at the Shanghai International Shipping Forum yesterday.
"We will support Shanghai to begin pilot programs in ship trading and shipping freight index derivatives trading to enhance Shanghai's services as it builds itself into a global shipping hub," Li added.
Shanghai International Shipping Information Center also said yesterday that it would provide comprehensive freight information and port data through Websites and monthly press releases.
"We still face challenges after the global financial turmoil but we have to take this opportunity and quicken the development of a modern transportation system in Shanghai," Mayor Han Zheng said in his speech.
The State Council, or China's Cabinet, mapped out detailed guidelines for the city's government to build Shanghai into an international shipping hub last March. Trial programs for business tax exemption for shipping companies as well as other stimulus measures have been introduced to attract more service providers to set up services in the city.
Other incentives include setting up a ship trading brokerage system, encouraging shippers to cooperate with shipyards and to foster other forms of partnership between insurance companies and shipping enterprises.
In the first two months of this year, ports in China's mainland handled 1.19 billion tons of goods, a 29 percent jump from the same period last year.
