CULines strengthens operations from north bank Beibu Bay

BEIBU Bay International Port Group and China United Lines (CULines) have recently signed a strategic co-operation agreement.

The accord was signed by managing director of CULines Raymond Chen and Xie Yi, general manager of Fangcheng Port Group, the authority managing Fangcheng harbour, located on the northern bank of Beibu Bay, a semi-enclosed sea flanked by China and Vietnam.

Under the terms of the agreement, CULines has vowed to enhance its partnership with Beibu Bay International Port Group through the opening of new shipping services from Fangcheng port, as well as investing in, and constructing logistics facilities at the port in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

The signing ceremony was held before high-ranking mainland officials, including the Deputy Director of the Shenzhen Communications Bureau, Liao Xiaobo, and the Deputy Director General of the Guangxi Transportation Department, Zhang Jianhui, as well as a delegation composed of representatives from companies offering international shipping services. The delegation was visiting Beibu Bay to gain a better understanding of the investment opportunities available in the region.

To tap opportunities presented by Beibu Bay's booming economic zone and to boost co-operation in regional shipping links between Shenzhen and Guangxi, CULines launched its South China/Vietnam Express Service (SVG-I) in August this year from Fangcheng Port, a service, which uses a 600-TEU vessel.

CULines thereby became the second shipping company to invest in Beibu Bay after Yantian International Container Terminals Ltd (YICT). The launch of the SVG-1 service is said to have helped bring the concept of hub liner shipping to the Beibu Bay market and demonstrate the benefits of using this water channel to transport cargo from Guangxi and China's southwest hinterland that is destined for overseas markets.

In response to Communist Party secretary general Liu Qibao' call to "actively participate in the development and construction of the Beibu Bay Economic Zone," as part of the "China-Asean Port Development and Co-operation Joint Statement" announced at the 4th China-Asean Expo, CULines is planning to launch its South China/Guangxi/Vietnam (SVG-II) service later this month.

The SVG-II is expected to deploy another 600-TEU to operate the service, which will bring the number of CULine's calls at Fangcheng Port to 10 a month.