Sabah ports can learn from Tangshan seaport
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah can look into joint ventures with Hebei enterprises to modernize the processing of agro produce and for exports to China.
The astronomical growth and development of the Tangshan seaport offers a lot of valuable lessons for Sabah ports to learn from.
This was disclosed in a Hebei investment talk organized by Hebei Provincial Department of Commerce on Saturday whichy was attended by SME Sabah President N K Foo and MCCC Sabah President Michael Chin.
Hebei province covers an area of 188,000 sq km, with a coastline of 487 km and a total population of 74 million. The province where the capital economic circle (consists of Beijing and Tianjin municipalities) is located is the area with the most active economy, the most developed industries and commerce and the largest market capacity. It has a high-end market with nearly 120 million consumers.
With the rapid rise of Bohai Rim, Hebei Province is becoming the most dynamic economic take-off area in North-East Asia and the third economic growth region after Pearl River Delta and Yangtze Delta in China.
Development of Xiongan the new capital city of China and Zhangjiakou, the main venue of the 2022 Winter Olympics, is expected to bring great opportunities to Hebei for accelerated economic development.
Hebei Province is resource rich and has discovered 156 kinds of minerals and 58 of the top ten reserves in China. It is a great industrial and top agriculture province with animal husbandry, vegetables and fruit production in the forefront of China and grain output ranks sixth.
Sabah can look into joint ventures with Hebei enterprise to modernize the processing of agro produce and for exports to China.
Tangshan Seaport Economic Development Zone was established with the approval of the People's Government of Hebei Province in 1993. It is in the centre of the Bohai Economic Circle governing 70 km of coastline, land area of 432 km2 and stateowned. With more than 20 years of development, the Zone has become an open-economic, fully functional, well-infrastructure, beautiful and modern beach city featured with modern port, along shore industry and efficient economic circulation.
In 2009, 16 years after the Tangshan seaport was operational, total TEUs handled was 100 million and became the youngest port to reach a throughput of 100 million TEUs.
In 2013 total TEUs handled doubled to 200 million TEUs – just barely four years later. Again another four years later in 2017 290 million TEUS was achieved. And in 2018 TEUs handled broke through the 300 million barrier.
The astronomical growth and development of the Tangshan seaport offers a lot of valuable lessons for Sabah ports to learn from.