Shandong set to play bigger role in BRI with new ports group
China DailyContainers carrying goods for export are seen in Qingdao Port, East China's Shandong province, on Oct 19, 2018. Launched on Tuesday in Qingdao, the company has integrated the major ports in the province, including Qingdao Port, Yantai Port, Rizhao Port and the Bohai Bay Port Group. "By integrating port facilities and services, the coastal ports in Shandong province will enhance connections with more 'waterless ports' in inland provinces along the Silk Road Economic Belt," said Huo Gaoyuan, the new group's first chairman, adding that the new group will provide services for hinterland areas involved in the Eurasian Continental Bridge. With a cargo handling capacity exceeding 500 million tons last year, Qingdao Port was ranked among the Top 10 ports in China. Launched in March 2018, the Bohai Bay Port Group, which now is in charge of Binzhou Port, Dongying Port and Weifang Port, was the first step toward port integration in Shandong province.