Inland Waterway Shipping Development Status of Inland Waterway Shipping in China

On January 11th, 27, a winter drizzle fell in Wuhan, Jiangcheng. The atmosphere of the main venue of the "Yangtze River Shipping International Forum" of Shangri-La International Hotel is not affected by the cold outdoor air, which is very harmonious, solemn and warm. With the same desire to develop inland waterway transportation, more than 2 Chinese and foreign representatives gathered together and conducted in-depth discussions and exchanges on some issues concerning the development of inland waterway transportation in the spirit of study, exchange and cooperation.

Everyone agrees that, looking at the development of modern world transportation, the great advantages of economic and social development of inland river shipping services are highlighted. With the further prosperity of the economy, the inland river transportation volume will continue to grow, and the whole inland river shipping industry will face unlimited development opportunities and bright prospects.

Europe: 32 million people use the Rhine-Danube River

The inland shipping mode plays a unique role in economy and environment, and has extraordinary attraction. Developed countries in the world attach great importance to the strategic position and important role of inland river shipping and adopt a series of policies and measures to support the development of inland river shipping.

Ms. wortmann, a member of the European Parliament, said that the Rhine-Danube is undoubtedly important in Europe, and has been the most important transportation system in Europe for centuries, which has played a great role in economic development. The passage flows through 1 countries and connects the North Sea and the Black Sea. The main goods transported are crops, chemicals, ores, steel, etc., and the growth rate in the transportation of marine containers, metal products, chemicals, machinery and other products is also very high. Nearly 57% of the total population in Europe lives in the Rhine-Danube valley, and the lives of about 32 million people are closely related to this waterway.

She said that the development of the Rhine River is relatively mature, while the Danube still needs a lot of improvement in terms of draft and winning high-value cargo transportation. With the enlargement of the European Union, the circulation of goods between eastern and western Europe has increased rapidly, and the Danube has great potential in inland water transportation, which can transfer the transportation of goods from increasingly crowded road transportation to water transportation. Therefore, improving the connection between the Rhine and Danube has been put on the agenda of Europe as one of the largest inland water transport infrastructure projects.

In order to better play the role of inland water transport, Europe is planning to develop the Rhine-Danube channel into a modern, environmentally friendly and efficient water transport infrastructure channel, so it attaches great importance to the improvement of shipping conditions and infrastructure. And the large amount of money needed for this work mainly depends on public investment, especially the investment from the state finance. In addition, because the Rhine-Danube channel is one of the transportation network channels across Europe, it can also get up to 3% EU investment.

It is reported that in addition to infrastructure projects, Europe also attaches great importance to the development of cargo transshipment facilities along the river, logistics centers and industrial centers for processing, transshipment and storage of goods, because this can promote the transformation of transportation modes and make the Rhine-Danube channel play an important role in improving the quality of economic development and creating employment opportunities. In addition, in order to optimize transportation conditions, Europe is gradually improving the management level of inland water transport. At present, all countries along the Rhine-Danube River have realized the importance of inland river information service (RIS). Because RIS helps inland water transport to become an inseparable part of the multi-mode chain, it is a prerequisite for inland water transport to strive for a higher share of transport. Countries along the Rhine-Danube River hope that the universal and coordinated information service provided by RIS will help the transportation management of inland shipping, reduce the safety and environmental risks, provide an interface for the connection with other modes of transportation, facilitate the integration of inland water transport and logistics, and provide one-stop management services. This pan-European information system will be implemented in the next few years.

She said that, as a unique mode of transportation in economy and environment, the coordinated development of inland water transport has become the knowledge of countries along the Rhine-Danube channel. To this end, the EU has reached a "NAIADES" with five strategic contents, which has also become the basis for coordinated action at the pan-European level. At present, the Rhine Shipping Center Committee has issued a statement that it will work with the European Union and the Danube Commission to contribute to the implementation of the action plan. In addition to paying attention to coordinated actions involving many parties, countries along the Rhine-Danube River also attach great importance to the coordination and integrity of adjusting the framework of transport modes. At present, great progress is being made in the coordination of technical requirements for inland water transport vessels. In addition, the free movement of people is extremely important to ensure the coordinated development of the transportation industry along the Rhine-Danube channel. The River Commission and the European Union are continuing their efforts to provide a unified standard for job requirements and ensure the coordinated development of the transportation industry along the corridor.

The role of the River Commission in promoting the inland water transport of the Rhine-Danube should not be underestimated. The Rhine Shipping Center Committee (CCNR) is composed of Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland. On March 3, 23, CCNR signed an agreement with the EU on strengthening cooperation. They will devote themselves to establishing a framework system for promoting and developing inland water transport in Europe, and their cooperation with the Danube Commission will also be strengthened.

"With the further development of inland water transport, the Rhine-Danube channel will become a channel across Europe, which is directly or indirectly used by 32 million people." She once again emphasized and expressed in her speech at the forum. At the same time, she hopes that more such meetings will be held to promote the cooperation between China, Europe and the Netherlands at government level, industry level and unofficial level, and to promote the development of inland waterway transportation.

China: the development leader of the golden waterway of the Yangtze River

The contribution of the Rhine-Danube waterway to Europe is similar. As the largest river in China and the third largest river in the world, the Yangtze River runs through the eastern, central and western regions of China, and its main tributaries communicate with the north and south. Its huge transportation resources, important position and role are irreplaceable by other modes of transportation.

Jin Yihua, director of the Yangtze River Waterway Administration of the Ministry of Communications, expounded the development of the main waterway of the Yangtze River in China at the forum. He said: since the Tenth Five-Year Plan, the shipping of the Yangtze River has been developing rapidly, and its freight volume, turnover and port throughput have maintained a double-digit annual growth rate, surpassing the Mississippi River in the United States and the Rhine River in Europe, making it the busiest and largest navigable river in the world at present. In 26, the trunk ports of the Yangtze River completed cargo throughput of 78 million tons, foreign trade cargo throughput of 94 million tons and container throughput of 3.8 million TEU. At the same time, after Suzhou Port and Nanjing Port, Nantong Port has become the third 1-million-ton port on the Yangtze River trunk line. He believes that the current momentum of the development of shipping in the Yangtze River is very strong, which can be summarized by "five remarkable"-the capacity of trunk waterways has been significantly improved, the capacity of ports has been significantly improved, the capacity of ships in the Yangtze River has been significantly improved, the level of support and security has been significantly improved, and the vitality of the shipping market has been significantly enhanced.

Good external environment and important strategic opportunities are the basis for the development of Yangtze River shipping. China's Eleventh Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development clearly puts forward: "Actively develop waterway transportation, improve the navigation conditions of inland rivers, build the golden waterway of the Yangtze River and the high-grade waterway network of the Yangtze River Delta, and promote river-sea combined transport." Taking this as the guiding ideology, the state and the provinces and cities along the Yangtze River pay more attention to the construction of the golden waterway of the Yangtze River.

On November 21st, 26, the first meeting of the Yangtze River Shipping Development Coordination Leading Group was held in Nanjing. At the meeting, the Ministry of Communications, together with seven provinces and two cities along the Yangtze River, namely Shanghai, Jiangsu, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Chongqing, Sichuan and Yunnan, signed the Overall Promotion Plan for the Golden Waterway Construction of the Yangtze River during the Eleventh Five-Year Plan, and * * * joined hands to further increase investment and policy support for the waterway construction of the Yangtze River in the next five years. It is reported that during the Eleventh Five-Year Plan period, the national investment in the golden waterway of the Yangtze River will reach 15 billion yuan, and the period of large-scale construction of Yangtze River shipping has arrived.

Jin Yihua said that the Yangtze River Golden Waterway is the transportation artery of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, and it is also the biggest advantage that distinguishes the Yangtze River Economic Belt from other regions. Seven provinces and two cities along the Yangtze River have a large population, accounting for 37.6% of the country. Rich in resources and intensive industries, it has gathered more than 41% of China's total economic output. The rapid economic and social development along the Yangtze River urgently requires Yangtze River shipping to further release its potential and improve its service level. To this end, China has determined the overall goal of the development of the Yangtze River shipping during the Eleventh Five-Year Plan period: by 21, the shipping capacity of the Yangtze River will be significantly improved, the structure will be significantly improved, and the benefits will be significantly improved; Waterways, ports, ships and support systems will develop in a coordinated way, basically forming a Yangtze River shipping network with coordinated trunk and branch, direct access between rivers and seas, and effective connection with other modes of transportation, and a unified, open and competitive Yangtze River shipping market; Initially realize the informationization of management, systematization of water supervision, rapid emergency response and standardization of administrative law enforcement in the Yangtze River shipping industry.

Jin Yihua said that in order to achieve the above objectives, the important task facing the development of Yangtze River shipping in the 11th Five-Year Plan period is to implement the General Promotion Plan for the Construction of Yangtze River Golden Waterway in the 11th Five-Year Plan period, make overall plans and coordinate, and jointly implement six major projects, including waterway regulation, port construction, ship type standardization, Three Gorges transportation capacity expansion, water transportation guarantee and trunk-branch linkage, so as to speed up the construction of Yangtze River Golden Waterway. In addition, it is necessary to seriously implement the waterway system management of the Yangtze River trunk line, strengthen the navigation guarantee of the Three Gorges, guarantee the key transportation, actively promote the standardization of ship types, and comprehensively improve the water transport support capacity to achieve sound and rapid development of the Yangtze River shipping.

Li Shaode, president of China Shipping (Group) Corporation, said in his speech at the forum that the Yangtze River shipping needs to achieve "coordinated development, regional cooperation and harmonious win-win". Li Shaode believes that container transportation is one of the advanced modes of transportation and the main symbol of transportation modernization. With the improvement of shipping conditions, the container throughput of the Yangtze River trunk line is increasing year by year, and it is expected to exceed 1 million TEU by the end of the 11th Five-Year Plan. It is reported that at present, China Shipping has set up more than a dozen companies along the Yangtze River, with 8 branches in the downstream and 6 branches in the middle and upper reaches, covering the major ports in the whole Yangtze River basin.

This network and excellent staff have various advantages and have strong influence in the local area. In addition, China Shipping has opened more than 4 feeder liners in the Yangtze River every week, with a one-way capacity of about 28TEU per week. In 25, China Shipping's traffic in the Yangtze River was 278, TEU, and from January to October 26, it was 251, TEU.

in order to seek greater development, China Shipping has made a strategic plan for "inland navigation development of the Yangtze River"-making full use of the superior resources of the golden waterway of the Yangtze River, actively participating in and deeply developing the shipping market along the Yangtze River through "external cooperation and complementary advantages", realizing the working goal of "introducing foreign products from within and supplementing foreign products from within", realizing sustainable development, and pursuing simultaneous progress of economic and social benefits. By 21, China Shipping plans to achieve the development goal of a fleet with 71 ships and a total container space of 67,4 TEU in the inland navigation of the Yangtze River, and realize the Yangtze River traffic volume of 1.17 million TEU.

the state attaches great importance to development, and all parties are enthusiastic about it. The beautiful scenery of the golden waterway of the Yangtze River is in sight!