Representatives from the Guangzhou Port Authority were in town this week to look at future development plans with their counterparts at Bristol Port.
The delegation’s visit was organised by the West of England China Bureau.
Chief Executive Officer Dianne Francombe said the port visit culminated in the signing of a fresh Memorandum of Understanding calling for closer collaboration between the two port authorities.
Simon Bird (CEO) and David Ord (Managing Director) signed the letter on behalf of Bristol Port with Mme Yuan Yue signing on behalf of the delegation from Guangzhou.
Dianne Francombe said: “Agreements such as these have particular significance for Chinese business people and are key to helping local firms unlock some of the fantastic trading opportunities waiting for them in Guangdong.
“The delegation was impressed by the level of sophisticated organisation at Bristol Port and more particularly the excellent use of every piece of land. They were also interested to learn about private investment opportunities and how the Port operates outside of Government controls.”
Dianne went on: “Although the two ports are vastly different in terms of scale – with Guangzhou Port having 854 berths against Bristol’s 35 – delegation members were able to see for themselves how Bristol Port is so well placed and why it is recognised as the most economical distribution location in the UK.
“These are all reasons why our visitors from Guangzhou were delighted by their visit and hope to benefit from sharing learning in the years to come as well as identifying trading opportunities.”
