Hong Kong port operators should figure out how to cut costs to maintain their leading status among counterparts in the region, a top mainland official has advised.
In the latest call for the city to rethink its role as a sea-cargo hub, Weng Mengyong , a vice-minister of communications, said that to support the massive volumes of cargo in coming years there would need to be a huge cluster of ports with a 'reasonable division of labour'.
In an interview with Xinhua he said the Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Guangzhou ports had their own strengths and could complement each other to serve the Pearl River Delta region.
His remarks follow those of Zhang Xiaoqiang , deputy chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission, who said in an interview with the South China Morning Post Hong Kong should embrace a 'regional perspective' in building new terminals, and focus on developing the logistics industry.
Xinhua said container throughput for the Pearl River Delta would reach 40 million 20-foot equivalent units (teu) in 2010, and would approach 30 million teu in Hong Kong.
Mr Weng said Hong Kong's port services, financial accounting and customs-clearing services had a distinct superiority. But he warned operators should try to control how much they spent on transporting containers.
