Zhang Zhinan, executive vice governor of Fujian, attends the plate-unveiling ceremony of the Fujian Silk Road Shipping Operation Co on Dec 24. [Photo by Hu Meidong/chinadaily.com.cn]

Xiamen, a port city in East China's Fujian province, is set to exert a greater role in bolstering the Belt and Road Initiative, as it inaugurated a new business on Monday to boost transportation linking China and the BRI countries.

According to its operator, the new entity- Fujian Silk Road Shipping Operation Co- will launch 16 international container shipping routes as of June in 2019.

By 2020 year-end, it aims to further cement links with ports and shipping businesses from home and abroad, basically realizing the construction of an international trade route featuring sea transport plus Sino-Europe freight train services.

As of 2025, the company will develop into a logistics brand with global competitiveness and recognition, with the routes covering all the major ports along the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.

On the same day, some juggernauts in the sector including China COSCO Shipping Corporation Limited, Xiamen Port Holding Group and Fujian Provincial Communication and Transportation Group proposed establishment of an alliance to expand cooperation and exchanges with global companies in the fields of shipping, logistics and trade.

The move would help the newly established company grow into a comprehensive transportation platform with standardized services, facilitated operation and smart management, promoting the city's economic and trade ties with the port cities in BRI countries, said Cai Liqun, deputy general manager of Xiamen Port Holding Group and also general manager of Fujian Silk Road Shipping Operation Co.