Zhejiang province, south of Shanghai, plans to attract investment at home and abroad for port development but within newly tightened regulations, an official of Zhejiang port authority told Xinhua.
The Standing Committee of Zhejiang Provincial People's Congress has approved the implementation of the Zhejiang Provincial Port Administration Regulations, which provide restrictions on the development of coastlines, said the official.
According to the regulations, port plans must be kept in line with existing ocean function plans, approved industrial layouts and waterway development schemes, said an official with Zhejiang Port and Shipping Bureau.
County-level governments, and above, can decide which port operators can acquire franchise rights for construction and operation after approval procedures and compensation issues have been settled. Zhejiang coastal areas have been developed without compensation in the past, which has led to problems, said the Xinhua report.
Zhejiang province has 6,646 kilometres of coastline, 498 kilometres of which can be used for port development and 343 kilometres are good for deepwater ports.
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