Shandong Port Group (SPG) is looking to play a bigger role in the economic development of the Yellow River Basin (YRB), company officials said at seminar regarding the high-quality development of the YRB on May 25.

During the seminar, major tasks related to promoting unimpeded transportation, hub connectivity, information communication, business integration, green and intelligent development and policy coordination were introduced.

In terms of advancing unimpeded transportation, hub connectivity, corridor construction and hub linkage, SPG said that it has expedited efforts to turn itself into an international shipping hub center in Northeast Asia and become a gateway for opening-up in the YRB.

To promote information communication, business integration and platform cooperation, SPG will accelerate efforts to set up inland ports and logistics industrial parks along the YRB to extend port functions to the hinterlands. Furthermore, SPG will work with shipping companies to open routes that transport premium fruits from foreign countries to various parts of China.

As for bolstering green and intelligent development and cooperation in environment protection, SPG will work closely with leading enterprises of various sectors along the YRB to serve the ecological protection and high-quality development of the YRB.

In terms of advancing policy coordination and jointly building mechanisms, SPG will make use of the opportunity presented by the announcement of Qingdao Port as a port of departure to implement a tax rebate policy for ports, and expand the scope of ports to inland ports along the YRB.

In addition, SPG will take steps to align the YRB national strategy with the Belt and Road Initiative.

This aerial photo shows the container terminal at Qingdao Port. [Photo/WeChat account: Shandong-Port]