Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, on April 10 inspected south China's Guangdong Province.

He first went to the city of Zhanjiang, where he visited a mariculture base, an area of mangrove forests, a port, and a water resource allocation project.

Xi learned about efforts in developing marine aquaculture, strengthening the protection of mangrove forests, boosting transportation infrastructure connectivity, advancing the collaborative development of Guangdong with its neighboring island province of Hainan, and optimizing water resource allocation.

Located at the throat of the golden channel of the Qiongzhou Strait on the mainland end, Xuwen Port is the world's largest passenger and cargo roll-on/roll-off terminal. Xuwen Port and Haikou New Port are located quite close to each other, with only a sea distance of 12 nautical miles separating them. It takes approximately 1 hour to sail across this distance by boat, making possible the coordinated development between Guangdong and the Hainan Free Trade Port. This port not only plays a crucial role in China's major strategies, but also bears the responsibility of high-level opening up. Supported by the port, Xuwen, the southernmost county on the Chinese mainland, has seized a rare opportunity for development.

A world-class ro-ro terminal for passengers and cargo

The Qiongzhou Strait is not only a strategic channel for China in the South China Sea but also a crucial route for the construction and development of the Hainan Free Trade Port. More than 90% of Hainan Province's daily necessities and one-third of passenger traffic are transported through the Qiongzhou Strait.

Xuwen Ancient Port is one of the starting ports of the Maritime Silk Road in the Han Dynasty. The round trip from Xuwen to other countriesalongthe Maritime Silk Road covers more than 10,000 nautical miles, connecting 17 countries. The ancient Maritime Silk Road starting from Xuwen was one of the longest sea transportation routes in the world at that time, and Xuwen flourished thanks to its port.

With the accelerated development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Hainan Free Trade Port, Xuwen is now situated at the forefront of coordinated regional development. In June 2021, Guangdong Province supported research to cooperate with Hainan Province in building an industrial park in Xuweng, Guangdong. This is aimed at accelerating the construction of the Guangdong-Hainan (Xuweng) Special Cooperation Zone, which will be centered around Xuweng Port and extend to the east and west with a planned construction area of about 140 square kilometers.

One-hour living circle between Xuweng and Haikou

Xuwen Port started construction on January 1, 2017 and was officially opened for operation on September 26, 2020. It takes only one hour to sail from Xuwen to Haikou. Today, more than 12 million passengers travel through Xuwen Port to and from Hainan Island each year. The average interval between flights at Xuweng Port is 15 to 30 minutes, with a maximum of 196 flights in a single day. A ticket costs only 41.5 yuan, and passengers can complete the process of entering the port, purchasing a ticket, and boarding the ship in just 8 minutes.

Currently, Xuwen Port has become an internationally top-notch, fully functional, and demonstrative new generation of passenger and cargo transportation port, further improving the efficiency and service quality of passenger and cargo transportation. During the 2023 Spring Festival travel rush, Xuwen Port handled a throughput of 690,000 vehicles, 2.44 million passengers, and 10.6 million tons of cargo. As the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port advances, the throughput of vehicles, passengers, and cargo crossing the Qiongzhou Strait is expected to further increase.

Spillover effect of economic development

As one of the first cities to be designated as a strategic pivot for the Maritime Silk Road Initiative, Zhanjiang bears the significant responsibility of serving as a sub-central city in Guangdong Province and developing into a key modern coastal economic belt.

Xuwen Port functions as a vital transportation hub for promoting the coordinated development between Guangdong and Hainan, as well as being a critical node connecting the Hainan Free Trade Port and the GBA. The Hainan Free Trade Port is sure to attract more people, goods, and capital flows, thereby greatly enhancing the spillover effect of the service-oriented regional economic development.

Recently, the third China International Consumer Products Expo is underway in Haikou, Hainan province. According to Chi Fulin, President of the China (Hainan) Institute for Reform and Development, "The city of Xunwen, located in Guangdong province, is a key player in the coordinated development of the Hainan Free Trade Port and the GBA. Thanks to its advantageous location and rich resources, Xunwen serves as a hub for travel and trade between Guangdong and Hainan. The Xunwen Special Cooperation Zone is especially important in driving the coordinated development of these two regions."

Data

Zhanjiang Xuwen Port

Started construction on January 1, 2017 and officially opened for operation on September 26, 2020.

The project was designed to handle 3.2 million vehicles and 17.28 million passengers annually.

The total investment of the project was approximately 2 billion yuan, with a land area of around 1,140 mu and a harbor area of 840 mu.

The construction includes 16 general cargo and roll-on/roll-off berths with a capacity of 10,000 tons and 1 dangerous goods roll-on/roll-off berth with the same capacity. Supporting facilities include breakwaters, a 210-meter-wide navigation channel, a dangerous goods vehicle inspection station, a small car/passenger car inspection station, a waiting area for vehicles (about 200 mu and 1,800 parking spaces), a parking area for bad weather conditions (about 180 acres and 1,500 parking spaces), a comprehensive transportation hub (77,000 square meters), and a comprehensive service area.

与海南相向而行，徐闻迎千载难逢发展机遇

粤琼跨海融通 古港焕发新生

4月10日，习近平总书记在广东省考察调研，来到湛江市徐闻港，了解当地提升交通基础设施互联互通水平、推动广东海南相向发展等情况。

徐闻港地处琼州海峡黄金通道大陆端咽喉，是全球最大的客货滚装码头。从这里出发，徐闻港到海口新海港的海上距离仅12海里，海上航行时间1个小时，能更好地对接海南自由贸易港。一个港口，既牵系重大国家战略，也承载高水平对外开放。徐闻这座中国大陆最南端的县城，也迎来了千载难逢的发展机遇。

建成国际一流客货滚装码头

琼州海峡是国家在南海的战略通道，也是海南自由贸易港建设和发展的咽喉要道，海南省90%以上的生活物资，1/3的客流量皆通过琼州海峡运输。徐闻古港，是汉代海上丝绸之路的始发港之一。从徐闻等地出发，来回全程一万多海里，沿途经过17个国家，是当时世界上最长的海上交通线之一。徐闻因港而兴，盛极一时。

随着粤港澳大湾区、海南自由贸易港建设加快推进，徐闻又历史性地处在区域联动发展的前沿。2021年6月，广东支持研究与海南在徐闻合作共建产业园区，加快谋划推进广东·海南（徐闻）特别合作区，将以徐闻港为核心、向东西两翼延伸，规划建设总面积约140平方公里。

徐闻海口一小时生活圈

徐闻港于2017年1月1日开始动工建设，2020年9月26日正式开港运营。从徐闻到海口，海上航行仅需1个小时。如今每年有超过1200万人次旅客通过徐闻港进出海南岛，徐闻港日常平均15分钟到30分钟就有一个航班，单日最高航班数达196个。买上一张41.5元的船票，旅客从进港购票到上船，最快8分钟就可完成。

目前，徐闻港已是国际一流、功能齐全、具有示范性的新一代客滚运输港口，进一步提高了客货滚装运输效率与服务质量。仅2023年春运期间，徐闻港大货车、小轿车等车辆吞吐量达69万辆，旅客吞吐量达244万人次，货物吞吐量达1060万吨。随着海南自贸港建设的深入推进，琼州海峡的车辆、旅客、货物吞吐量还有望进一步提高。

让港口释放经济动能

作为国家首批“一带一路”海上合作战略支点城市，湛江承担着建设广东省域副中心城市、打造现代化沿海经济带重要发展极的重大使命。

徐闻港就是推动广东海南相向发展的重要交通枢纽，也是海南自由贸易港和粤港澳大湾区的关键连接点。海南建设自由贸易港，必将带来更多的人流、物流、资金流等要素聚集，极大增强服务区域经济发展的辐射带动作用。

近日，第三届中国国际消费品博览会正在海南省海口市如火如荼地进行中。中国（海南）改革发展研究院院长迟福林就表示：“海南自由贸易港和粤港澳大湾区联动发展的突破点、先行区就在徐闻。依托于徐闻的地缘优势和资源禀赋优势，大量的人、货、物都通过徐闻来往广东、海南两省。徐闻特别合作区在促进海南自由贸易港与粤港澳大湾区联动发展中扮演着‘重要角色’。”

【数据】

湛江徐闻港

2017年1月1日动工建设，2020年9月26日正式开港运营。

项目设计车辆年通过能力为320万辆次，旅客年通过能力为1728万人次。

工程总投资约20亿元人民币，造地面积约为1140亩，港池面积840亩。

建设有16个万吨级普通客货滚装泊位和1个万吨级危险品专用滚装泊位，配套建设防波堤、210米宽的航道、危险品过海车辆检测站、小车/客车过海检测站、车辆待渡场（约200亩、1800车位）、恶劣天气停车场（约180亩、1500车位）、综合交通枢纽（7.7万平米）和综合服务区等配套设施。

文 | 许悦 丁玲 王丹阳
图 | 周巍
海报 | 蔡红
翻译 | 刘佳慧