RESEARCH ON DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY AND DISTRIBUTION CHARACTERISTICS OF CHINESE FREE TRADE PORT ZONES

Most of the well-known major ports in the world are free trade ports,which are generally considered as free trade zones.Implementation of the free trade zone strategy is one of the tasks in China’s economic development in the future.The practice of trade free port zone in China is the evolvement and optimization of free trade zone institution.To some extent,free trade port zone is actually the internationally practiced free trade port.The State Council has authorized the establishment of 10 free trade port zones during the period of 2005 to 2008,which are respectively Yangshan in Shanghai,Dongjiang in Tianjin,Dayaowan in Dalian,Yangpu in Hainan,Meishan in Ningbo,Qinzhou in Guangxi,Haicang in Xiamen,Qianwan in Qingdao,Nansha in Guangzhou and Chongqing.Chongqing is an inland free trade area.It’s clear that these free trade port zone are mainly located in the eastern economic area of China,and there is no such free trade zone in western economic area.In terms of the system of coastal ports,the Bohai Rim,Yangtze River Delta,Southeastern coastal area,Zhujiang River Delta,and Southwestern coastal area all have free trade zone designated.Chongqing falls into the category of inland port system.In this paper we systematically analyze the function,conditions and process of the formation,characteristics and types of spatial distribution of free trade port zones,and the pulling effect and the role free trade zones play in regional economic development.We also discuss the development trend of China’s free trade port zones.