Zhoushan, the outlying island city of Zhejiang province, is trying to tap foreign capital in Hong Kong to build a 7.4 billion yuan (about HK$6.93 billion) bridge linking it to the mainland so it can fully develop its port business.
The bridge project will help expand the throughput capacity of the Yangtze River Delta as the neighbouring cities of Shanghai and Ningbo will be able to tap the potential of Zhoushan's deep sea port.
Zhoushan party secretary Wang Huizhong said the city aimed to develop an international shipping hub to meet growing demand from Shanghai and the mainland part of Zhejiang province.
Zhoushan has applied to the State Development Planning Commission and expects to secure approval in the second half of this year.
Zhoushan's port mainly handles bulk commodities such as coal, crude oil and raw ore and has an annual throughput capacity of 32 million tonnes.
The island city earlier formed a joint venture, Tong Sheng, with the Shanghai government to build a container port with an initial annual throughput capacity of three million teu (20-foot-equivalent units) on its Yangshan Islands, allowing Shanghai to expand its cargo handling capacity.
The joint venture will also build a bridge to connect the Yangshan Islands to the main island of Zhoushan.