China ramps up efforts to improve maritime services in Greater Bay Area

China's Ministry of Transport (MOT) has recently issued a circular on promoting the development of maritime services in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Yang Xinzhai, a MOT official, said at the press conference on Tuesday that the MOT will beef up efforts to deepen the maritime collaborative mechanism of the Greater Bay Area, strengthen safety guarantee of water transportation, actively promote green shipping development, continuously improve the waterborne emergency search and rescue capabilities, help optimize the Greater Bay Area’s shipping development environment and push forward regional coordinated development.

By 2022, the diversified pattern of water traffic safety in the Greater Bay Area will basically take shape, and the cooperation mechanism of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao maritime management organization will operate in an orderly manner, according to Yang.

By 2035, water transportation in the Greater Bay Area will be safe and convenient, and main shipping elements will flow efficiently.

Yang pointed out that the country aimed to build the Greater Bay Area into a pioneer zone of water transportation and maritime service nationwide, a pilot zone of maritime reform and innovation-driven development, and a demonstration area of high-quality maritime development by 2035.