Maritime pilots to escort Hainan's port development

South China's Hainan province is the only provincial-level special economic zone among the seven special economic zones and the largest special economic zone in China. The "Overall Plan for the Construction of Hainan Free Trade Port" announced on June 1 last year proposes to build the Hainan Free Trade Port into an important gateway for deepening the country's reform and opening-up policy.

The construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port has been witnessing many silent supports of unsung heroes, and among them are a group of maritime pilots. A total of 22 pilots from the provincial ship pilot station perform piloting at five ports in Haikou, Yangpu and Dongfang. Their core work is to pilot ships in and out of the port, berthing and leaving the dock.

Hainan has a coastline of more than 1,500 kilometers, and its economy is a typical island economy in which transportation to and from the island is the lifeblood of the province's survival. About 98 percent of cargo and 45 percent of passengers enter and exit by sea each year, and most of these ships are piloted by the Hainan Provincial Communication Pilot Station.