HAIKOU, November 9. /TASS/. China's Hainan launched the first transcontinental air cargo route to diversify international supply channels. According to the Hainan Daily, goods will be delivered on a regular basis from the provincial capital, Haikou, to Amsterdam.
According to the newspaper, the first batch delivered to Europe weighed 110 tonnes. The transportation was carried out using a Boeing 747-400F. Products shipped to the Netherlands include electronics and household goods. On the way back, the airliner will arrive with auto parts and goods ordered by Chinese consumers via e-commerce sites.
According to the local authorities, thanks to such transcontinental routes, they expect to increase the openness of Hainan's free trade port, enhance international supply chains to the countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative. In the future, the island is expected to create a global network for large-scale air cargo transportation.
"We will seize this opportunity and take proactive steps to build the capacity needed to transport goods internationally by aviation," said Gu Gang, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Hainan Airlines.
As the administration of the island clarified, this project is being implemented with the support of the Civil Aviation Administration, the General Administration of Customs and the Chinese State Committee on Hygiene and Health.
The authorities presented a plan for the free trade port’s development on June, 1. In accordance with the plan, the Hainan province will be turned into a special customs zone. The country’s government intends in general to wrap up the creation of the free trade port on the island by 2025: by this time the island should acquire a system to ensure free trade and investments.
By 2035, the free trade port and its model will become more solid. By this time, Hainan intends to ensure the freedom of trade and investments, trans-border movement of capital, people and shipping.
By 2025, the Chinese government intends to create an "international center for tourism and consumption" on Hainan. In order to do so, the "Eastern Hawaii" with their unique natural landscapes, thick rainforests and great climate will establish a developed network of hotels, which blend perfectly with white sandy beaches stretching along the coastline. The combination of an exotic subtropical nature and a modern eco-friendly infrastructure will boost tourist inflow to the island from the most distant parts of the world.