Zhanjiang, an emerging port city in Guangdong province, is stepping up its cooperation with other cities in the Beibu Bay rim.

Zhanjiang mayor, Wang Zhongbing, made the remarks at a press conference held on Tuesday about the five-day 2014 China Ocean Economy Expo, which opened in the city on Wednesday.

"Cities in the rim have both competitive and cooperative relations and the cooperation is already going on in fields such as port development, transport facilities and social management," Wang said.

Meanwhile, Zhanjiang aspires to become a pilot city in the country, integrating the development of both the land and sea areas, which, if realized, should unleash greater potential for the city.

It is building up its transport network, including roads, high-speed railways, airports, shipping waterways and ports, Wang said.

liwenfang@chinadaily.com.cn

Edited by Feng Lu and Brian Salter