Zhoushan leading nation in energy, shipbuilding and fishing
Zhoushan, amid the busy East China Sea, is the largest archipelago of China. An offshore city that comprises 1,390 islands and 3,306 reefs, Zhoushan is home to more than 1.1 million people, and at the front line of the nation’s energy strategy, as well as shipbuilding and fishing industries.
Since the Neolithic Period 6,000 years ago, Zhoushanese have become synonymous with being diligent, tough, optimistic and spearheading.
Zhoushanese throughout the world have inherited that spirit and excelled in many fields.
A 300,000-ton bunker at Zhoushan port
A sculpture on the beach of the Huanglong Island
On the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Zhoushan calls on its great sons and daughters throughout the country and from around the world to come home and make a contribution to the future development of the industrial and trading hub.
Since 2011, with the establishment of Zhoushan Archipelago New Area, or the fourth state-level new area in the country, Zhoushan Port Comprehensive Bonded Zone, Zhoushan Ocean-River Transportation Service Center and China (Zhejiang ) Pilot Free Trade Zone, Zhoushan has many rare opportunities for development.
A World Zhoushanese Congress will be held in November to help build a platform for exchange, cooperation and common development.
It will play an important role in further deepening economic and trade exchanges and cooperation at home and abroad, promote investment and recruitment, and accelerate the construction of Zhoushan Archipelago New Area.
At present, hundreds of thousands of Zhoushanese are living away from home.
They are mainly in developed countries and domestically in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Yangtze River Delta region, Pearl River Delta region, Beijing and Tianjin.
Among them, there are political and business leaders, top-notch scientists and countless unsung heroes who have made extraordinary achievements in their own fields.
At the same time, Zhoushanese who are living away from home are more willing to give feedback to developing their hometown.
The upcoming World Zhoushanese Congress will establish a communications platform.
“The grand meeting opens on November 1, the best day to demonstrate the great achievements of Zhoushan’s development in the past 70 years, and sum up the practical experience of the construction of the Zhoushan Archipelago New Area,” said Wang Wei, director of the United Front Work Department of Communist Party of China Zhoushan Committee.
“It will allow Zhoushanese at home and abroad to have a comprehensive understanding of rapidly changing Zhoushan, share the fruitful achievements of reform and opening-up in their hometown, further increase their pride, enhance their self-confidence and effectively stimulate their pioneering and innovative spirit to build a joint force for the better future of Zhoushan.
“Additionally, through the event, the world will know more about Zhoushan, so that Zhoushan can further integrate into the world.”
Looking back to the past, from a coastal town to China’s first national-level new area for the development of maritime economy, Zhoushan is doing its best.
Looking to the future, as the site of China (Zhejiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone, Zhoushan will focus on the development of an entire oil and gas supply chain, river-sea shipping, shipbuilding and fishing industries.
More than 3,000 fishing boats set off from Zhoushan port to the East China Sea, marking the beginning of the fishing season.
“The archipelago is playing a more and more important role in the Belt and Road Initiative and the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta region,” according to Yu Donglai, Zhoushan Party secretary.
“It also plans to promote the national strategy for the development of the state-level new area, river-sea transport service center and the pilot free trade zone, so as to promote the high-level development of Zhoushan.
“The superposition of the national strategies has become a major advantage of Zhoushan’s development and opening-up.”
In terms of oil reserves, Zhoushan currently has more than 19.5 million tons of storage, and has been approved by the central government to have a reserve capacity of 10 million tons which is under construction.
By the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020), Zhoushan will become the largest and most competitive oil storage and logistics base in the world.
In oil processing, an integrated refinery and petrochemical complex with a total investment of 170 billion yuan (US$24.1 billion) is well underway.
In order to better promote the development of the entire oil and gas supply chain, Zhoushan has taken the lead in institutional innovation, according to Yu.
The institutional arrangements of Zhejiang FTZ provides policy support for the development of the entire oil and gas supply chain, such as setting up customs bonds and customs clearance for the oil and gas trade, while oil and gas trade boosts the prosperity of the free trade zone.
“The two promote each other and develop positive relationship,” Yu said.
After a series of institutional innovations, an energy and commodity trading network has been activated and attracted a large number of domestic and foreign oil giants.
At present, Zhoushan has clustered nearly 1,000 oil trading enterprises.
Taking Zhejiang Petroleum Co as an example. The company, with registered capital of 11 billion yuan, was established in Zhoushan in September 2017 and has become a new force in the construction of Zhoushan.
At the same time, Zhoushan is accelerating the building of a sea-river fleet to further strengthen its logistics network.
A woman dries squid at Zhanmao Industrial Park in Zhoushan.
China’s first river-sea vessel, Jinghai Zhida 1, completed its nonstop maiden voyage from Zhoushan Port to Ma’anshan Port in Anhui Province last April.
The ship is designed to sail both in coastal waters and in rivers to move cargos from Zhoushan to inland ports.
Zhoushan is turning itself into a hub linking transportation in the East China Sea with the Yangtze River.
A public information platform on ports, vessels and cargo further links Zhoushan Port with ports along the Yangtze, as well as with shipping and logistics companies and trading companies.
The State Council, or China’s Cabinet, approved the establishment of Zhoushan River-Ocean Combined Transportation Service Center in April 2016, which comprises the Zhoushan Archipelago New Area and some parts of Ningbo City.
The center is expected to handle 350 million tons of cargo by 2020, according to the Zhejiang Ocean Port Development Commission, which is overseeing the building of the center.
To help reach the goal, local shipyards have begun construction of bunkering barges for marine bunkering.
A 5,000-DWT bunker supply vessel, Runji 1, is being built by Zhoushan Hetai Shipbuilding Co. The ship has a total length of 96 meters, a width of 16 meters and a depth of 7 meters.
Its design is based on similar types in Singapore, the Netherlands and other international refuelling ports, and takes into account the wave conditions in Zhoushan as well as the capability to serve more than one ship each time.
Wang Zhimin, general manager of Zhoushan Runji Shippingt Co, said: “Runji 1 is customized for Zhejiang FTZ. It is the first bunker supply vessel designed and made in Zhoushan. Moreover, new improvements have been made in the vessel type, which is the first time in China.”
Shipbuilding is definitely the main propeller of Zhoushan’s economic growth.
COSCO (Zhoushan) Shipyard Co on July 15 delivered a container ship to French container transportation and shipping company Le Groupe CMA CGM.
CMA CGM Fort Fleurd’s Epee is the last of a contract for four 3,300 TEU container ships.
It is a ship with “Green Passport” and in line with the Energy Efficiency Design Index made mandatory for new ships since the Kyoto Protocol.
One day ahead, N745, the first vessel of a series of six Kamsarmax bulk carriers (81.6K DWT) completed her maiden voyage.
Model fishing boats are displayed in the Huanglong Model Ship Museum.
On April 17, Aegean Shipping celebrated the launch of N475 at the COSCO shipyard in Liuheng, Zhoushan.
COSCO (Zhoushan) Shipyard is close to international sea routes and navigation hub clusters in Asia.
Within the next few years, it will have the potential to grow into a mega shipyard and be capable of servicing all marine activities, including VLCC repairs and offshore blocks fabrication.
Fishing is the traditional occupation of many Zhoushanese.
On August 1, fishing boats set off from Zhoushan port to the East China Sea marking the beginning of the fishing season.
Tens of thousands of fishermen have resumed their operations, after a three-month ban from May 1. It is the busiest time in Zhoushan while a good harvest indicates that the life of Zhoushanese is getting better and better.
