Lin Shuixi, a deputy to the 13th National People's Congress (NPC), vice-chairman of the Guangdong Federation of Industry & Commerce, and chairman of Zhanjiang-based Jinling Group, called for national support for accelerating the establishment of a comprehensive bonded zone in Zhanjiang.

"The establishment of a comprehensive bonded zone in Zhanjiang is of vital importance and great urgency," added Lin.

Zhanjiang is located at the intersection of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the Beibu Gulf city cluster, and the China (Hainan) Pilot Free Trade Zone.

Setting up a comprehensive bonded zone in Zhanjiang would help the city make full use of its own advantages, make better use of both domestic and international resources, as well as ensure the better implementation of the country's major development strategies, according to Lin.

A number of key projects, including the BASF (Guangdong) Verbund Site project, as well as the Zhongke Refinery and Petrochemical project, have settled in Zhanjiang in recent years.

The construction and operation of these key projects will gather a large number of steel and petrochemical downstream industrial projects in Zhanjiang, as well as greatly promote the development of industries like bonded logistics, bonded processing, bonded services, said Lin. Hence it is in urgent need of high-quality opening-up platforms, such as comprehensive bonded zones, to help the city build a modern economic system.

"Zhanjiang has basically met the conditions for the establishment of a comprehensive bonded zone," Lin added.

The city completed the application to the Guangdong provincial government for the establishment of the comprehensive bonded zone in April 2019, which was submitted to the State Council in June 2019. The application was then approved and transmitted to the General Administration of Customs, the approval process of which has not been started yet.

In accordance with the mode of constructing while applying, the zone shall complete its construction and pass the acceptance within one year after its approval, along with industry planning, land consolidation, and investment promotion, said Lin.