The Nanjing municipal government released Opinions on Enhancing Port Construction on Dec 11, clarifying a “small goal” to open one to two new international air routes every year, and extend its railway station ports from China-Europe train destinations to important landlocked hub cities across Europe.
Nanjing is a key central city in east China, an ultra-large city in the Yangtze River Delta and a gateway to the Yangtze River basin. Centering on this strategic positioning of the city, the Opinions stipulated to increase arrivals and departures at air ports by 15 percent, import and export cargo volumes at airports by 20 percent, and the import and export cargo volumes at Nanjing water transport ports by 4 percent, all annually on average. Specifically, the Opinions also set a goal to raise container throughput for foreign trade by 4 percent and international mail and express throughput by 40 percent, both annually on average.
The Nanjing municipal government urged the opening of air routes to important international air hub cities and major destinations of international trade and the opening of one to two new international air routes every year. It also requested a vigorous boost of international and regional airfreight, promotion of long-term and stable operation of regular cargo transport routes between Nanjing and Taipei, and opening new regular cargo transport routes to air hub cities.
With regard to water transport ports, the Opinions suggested that near-sea shipping lines be intensified, including the opening of routes to regions in Southeast Asia, with a focus on foreign-trade inland feeders to key container ports such as Shanghai and Ningbo-Zhoushan.
In terms of railway station ports, the Opinions proposed continuing to open international trains to Central Asia, promote the stable operation of China-Europe trains like the Nanjing to Moscow line and extend China-Europe train destinations to important landlocked hub cities across Europe.
