HAIKOU, November 30. /TASS/. German ship operator Schulte Group will set up a joint venture to train ship crews in the southern province of Hainan, Hainan Daily reported.

The joint venture, called BSM-HMC Maritime Services, will also include Chinese crew operator Huayang Maritime Center and consulting company Haikou Xinhaina Port and Shipping Technology.

As the publication notes, China is one of the largest suppliers of personnel to the global maritime fleet - some 100,000 Chinese seafarers go on voyages every year. At the same time, there is a shortage of highly qualified personnel to operate oil tankers and gas carriers in China.

On June 1, 2020, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council of the People's Republic of China issued a program for the establishment of a free trade port in Hainan. The document provides for the creation of a special customs zone on this tropical island. The PRC authorities plan to complete the construction of a free port on the territory of the province in 2025, which is when the system of free trade and investment will be established on the island. By 2035, Hainan plans to ensure freedom of trade and investment, cross-border movement of capital, travel and transportation of goods.