Annual Report 2019

9 ANNUAL REPORT 2019 In 2019, the Group, with an unwavering aspiration, adhered to its strategic directives and the general operation philosophy of “enhancing core capability, insisting on both quality and efficiency, capitalising on opportunities of this era and striving to become a world’s leading enterprise”, and shored up its foundation and made innovation with a pragmatic attitude. With a focus on the development of homebase port, overseas expansion, comprehensive development, innovative development, operation management, and marketing and commerce, the Group advanced various tasks in a comprehensive and practical manner and achieved staged strategic goals and various operational objectives of the year. As for the development of homebase port, the Group adopted a number of initiatives and made full efforts to build world-class leading ports. Through progress in dredging projects of channels, integrated operation, and optimised environment of customs clearance, etc., the competitiveness of the West Shenzhen homebase port was steadily improved. With accelerated output of CICT’s management experience on overseas projects, improvement of Hambantota Port’s ability to provide comprehensive services, and enhanced collaborated development between Hambantota Port and CICT, the Group strived to foster the overseas homebase ports. As for overseas expansion, the Group kept abreast of new changes in international trade landscape and capitalised on opportunities presented by both the restructuring of the competitive landscape in global port and shipping industry and the Belt and Road Initiative. Overseas acquisition projects were propelled in an orderly manner, which will further complement the global port layout. With respect to comprehensive development, the Group dedicated in the exploration and innovation, and deepened the development of the comprehensive development model of “Port-Park-City”. Staged progress was achieved in the Djibouti International Free Trade Zone and Hambantota Port comprehensive development project, etc. With regard to innovative development, the Group proactively pushed forward the “digitalisation strategy”. While putting continuous effort in establishing “CM ePort”, an e-commerce platform for port and shipping, the Group, as a technology-driven enterprise, became an industry pioneer in the application of the 5G communication technology and the blockchain electronic invoices technology. Regarding operation management, the Group, taking world- class enterprise as its benchmark, optimised its operation management indicators and developed an operation management system for sustainable value creation through various measures, such as facilitating collaboration, strengthening management and control, and enhancing quality and efficiency. With regard to marketing and commerce, the Group coordinated and organised commercial promotions and ma r ke t i ng campa i gns f o r bo t h dome s t i c and overseas customers, and established and reinforced the communications with senior management of customers, so as to strengthen customer relations and extending its influence in the industry.