Zhang Xiaoqiang, deputy chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission, Hong Kong should focus on developing the high-end logistics industry and leave the expansion of container terminals to neighboring cities in Guangdong. He said authorities should embrace a ‘regional perspective’ in building new terminals in the future.

This comes after the news published in the same source, Cargo News Asia (a most excellent trade magazine) that Hong Kong’s container ports are not competitive with its neighbors, such as Yantian, which offer efficient service at cut-throat prices.

In 2005, Hong Kong lost its position as the world’s busiest port. Shanghai nicked past. Next year Shenzhen will overtake it.

Zhang Xiaoqiang is in charge of Hong Kong and Macau affairs in the commission and he said there was a case for Guangdong to build more container terminals. He added no words of comfort for Hong Kong as a container port: ‘This would allow Hong Kong to focus more on the high-end logistics industry. . . . Retaining Hong Kong’s status as an international shipping centre means moving everything made in Guangdong to Hong Kong ports. This increases the time and cost of transporting the products.’

Zhang Xiaoqiang said diverting cargo throughput to Guangdong would be a win-win situation because the province’s economic growth had outpaced Hong Kong’s and its trade volume had expanded robustly. He said, ‘We have to look at the fact that the cake is ever increasing.’