Government officials and business representatives announce the establishment of an innovative development union for the shipping industry in the Yangtze River Delta in Shanghai on July 11. [Photo/ntfabu.com.cn]

An innovative development union for the shipping industry in the Yangtze River Delta was formed during the Yangtze River Delta Shipping Integration Development Forum held in Shanghai on July 11.

The union was formed by the government of Tongzhou Bay in Nantong, East China’s Jiangsu province, along with 14 units in the Yangtze River Delta region.

The union is aimed at promoting the high-quality and integrated development of ports and the shipping industry in the delta region by following the country’s development strategy, establishing a regional coordination system, and creating a favorable business environment.

Tongzhou Bay boasts a convenient transportation system and great geography for building ports. 

Shipping facilities are expected to be completed and start operating in 2022.

The bay also aims to build itself into a container transport hub of the delta region by 2025 and improve its throughput capacity to 15 million TEU (twenty-foot container equivalent units) by 2035.