In the afternoon of May 22, General Secretary Xi Jinping made an investigation in Rizhao City, Shandong Province, and came to Rizhao Port to understand the local situation of promoting the intelligent and green construction of the port and expanding the opening up.

From July 2013 to visit Yangluo Container Port of Wuhan New Port, to March 2020 to visit Chuanshan Port of Ningbo Zhoushan Port, and to May 2023 to visit the coal port of Hebei Huanghua Port

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly visited major port areas in China, inspected the construction and operation of ports and wharves, listened to presentations on the layout of modern port groups, railway, highway and waterway combined transport, and communicated with on-site operators and construction personnel.

General Secretary Xi Jinping once pointed out that "ports are basic and pivotal facilities". The General Secretary has inspected and investigated the port for many times, from which we can understand the three profound meanings.

Look at the "barometer" of national economic development

Shipping is an important carrier of global trade. Today, with the integration of global economy and trade, the shipping industry has undertaken more than 80% of the global trade transportation tasks. As an important assembly point and hub of shipping, ports take cargo throughput and container throughput as important indicators of trade development, which can most intuitively reflect the local economic vitality and development trend, also known as the "barometer" of national economic development.

Throughout the past investigations and surveys of the General Secretary, ports and docks are one of the focal points at the critical moment of economic development.

In July 2013, General Secretary Xi Jinping investigated the issue of comprehensively deepening reform and current economic operation in Hubei. After getting off the plane, General Secretary Xi Jinping went to Yangluo Container Port Area of Wuhan New Port for investigation;

At the end of March 2020, at the special moment of fighting against the COVID-19 epidemic, Ningbo Zhoushan Port took the lead in resuming production. At the first stop of the investigation in Zhejiang, the General Secretary came here;

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This year is a crucial year to achieve the goals and tasks of the 14th Five Year Plan, and it is crucial to do a good job in economic work.

Rizhao Port has the largest throughput in China and is the supply chain hub of global bulk raw materials, energy, etc. Data shows that in the first quarter of this year, the cargo throughput of Rizhao Port increased by 6.7% year on year, and the container throughput increased by 15.3% year on year, achieving a "good start" in the first quarter.

The busy operation of bridge cranes and the frequent entry and exit of giant ships are a vivid portrayal of China's "good economic start".

General Secretary Xi Jinping stressed that to develop the economy, the country should be strong, and transportation, especially maritime transportation, should be strong first. The port is an important support for economic development, connecting tens of millions of foreign trade enterprises and markets upstream and downstream, showing the world the vitality and resilience of China's economy, as well as the courage and wisdom to face difficulties.

Cultivate high-quality "wave breakers"

When entering the Rizhao Port cargo terminal, containers are placed in order, and unmanned freight cars shuttle in order.

Empowering industrial innovation with scientific and technological innovation, Rizhao Port has comprehensively promoted the iterative upgrading of traditional ports to smart green ports in recent years, and has achieved the acceleration of "digital intelligence".

The magnificent change of Rizhao Port reflects the new trend of accelerating the transformation of China's port development from "big" to "strong" and from "fast" to "good".

At present, China is accelerating the cultivation of new quality productivity. Traditional ports embrace the digital, intelligent and green transformation of the shipping industry, which is the embodiment of accelerating the formation of new quality productivity.

On May 11, 2023, General Secretary Xi Jinping came to the coal port area of Hebei Huanghua Port for investigation. When knowing that a 50000 ton coal carrier can complete loading and unloading in 24 hours, and achieve all unmanned operation and automation, the general secretary sighed: "Now the port system is built better and better, and the wharf is clean, tidy and modern."

"We should continue to promote the transformation and upgrading of ports and resource integration" "play a greater role in promoting the coordinated development of regional economy and building a modern industrial system"... It is an ardent request to point out the direction for our ports to cultivate new quality productivity according to local conditions.

Create a "bridgehead" for opening up

The port is the starting point and fulcrum of the Maritime Silk Road. More than 2000 years ago, the ancestors of the Chinese nation set sail from the port and opened the Maritime Silk Road, which connects the trade and culture between the East and the West.

Now, the story of traveling to the sea is writing a new chapter.

Taking the advantage of "the port connects the four seas and the bridge connects Asia and Europe", Rizhao Port is open to navigation with more than 100 countries and regions, and constantly creates a new driving force for the development of "new three kinds" export business. In the first quarter of this year, Rizhao Port's "New Three Kinds" export grew by 22% month on month.

Giving full play to the role of the port as the starting point and fulcrum, and demonstrating China's inclusive attitude towards opening up, has always been one of the key points of General Secretary Xi Jinping's investigation.

In April 2017, less than a month before the first Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, General Secretary Xi Jinping visited Tieshangang, Beihai, Guangxi. This port is adjacent to Hepu County, the starting point of the ancient Maritime Silk Road at the westernmost end of the Chinese mainland coastline.

At Tieshangang Wharf, the General Secretary proposed to build a "sea oriented economy", pointing out that the North Sea has the historical background of the ancient maritime Silk Road. Now we need to write a new chapter of the maritime Silk Road in the new century.

In November 2019, during his visit to Greece, President Xi Jinping made a special trip to Piraeus Port, about 10 kilometers southwest of Athens, to investigate the leading demonstration project of the "Belt and Road" jointly built by China and Greece.

"Seeing is better than hearing. Today I see that the" Belt and Road "initiative proposed by China is not a slogan or legend, but a successful practice and brilliant reality." President Xi Jinping's words convey confidence and strength.

Today, China's ports have established airline links with more than 200 countries and regions in the world, covering coastal countries and regions jointly building the "Belt and Road". The service network is constantly improving, and the maritime connectivity is leading in the world, which continues to write a new chapter of the Maritime Silk Road.

Walk towards the sea and prosper towards the sea. Open the window of the port, the world will see a China that stands at the forefront of the tide and is unswervingly promoting high-level opening up, contributing to the global economic development.

Planner: Wang Nian, Zhang Xiaosong

Supervised by: Ju Peng, Yang Shouyong

Lead Writers: Ye Haoming, Sun Xiaohui

Vision | Editor: Zhang Aifang, Bao Yuhan

Jointly produced by Xinhua News Agency and Shandong Branch

Produced by the first studio of Xinhua News Agency

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