China to build Asia's 1st big data base for international shipping

BEIJING: A big data base for international shipping, stated to be the first in Asia will be established in east China's port city of Qingdao.

The 5 billion yuan (USD 787 million) project includes a big data exchange, a research academy, an industrial park and a big data center, according to an official with the Qingdao International Shipping Service Centre.

The centre signed a strategic agreement to jointly develop the base with AsiaInfo, a leading provider of high-quality software and solutions in China, at an international ocean forum held here yesterday.

"The construction of the base will push the modernisation of Qingdao's shipping industry and its integration with information technologies," state-run Xinhua news agency quoted the official as saying.

The container throughput of Qingdao Port ranks fourth in the country. Qingdao is also one of China's seven international cruise home ports.