On October 28, China's first online-offline "International Crew Change Joint Inspection Center" was officially inaugurated in the Qingdao Area of the Shandong Pilot Free Trade Zone. During the launch, multiple crew members undergoing shift changes completed the entire process—from identity verification to customs clearance—in under 10 minutes through a joint online-offline inspection by the Huangdao Immigration Border Inspection Station and Huangdao Customs.
"As a liner crew member, I used to spend over two hours shuttling between two locations with my luggage for inspections, which often involved repeated unpacking. It was time-consuming," said Ji Zeqi, the first crew member to experience the new facility. "Now, with the Joint Inspection Center, everything is done in one go—it’s a game-changer."
This efficiency improvement stems from reforms under the "Efficient Handling of One Matter" initiative, implemented through a "Joint Supervision Collaboration Mechanism" between Huangdao Border Inspection and Huangdao Customs. The innovative "offline joint inspection, online collaborative support" model streamlines approval processes, reduces clearance time, and minimizes redundant procedures, cutting overall crew change time from 2–3 hours to under 1 hour.
At the new center, border officers and customs officials conduct on-site physical inspections, while a self-developed crew information declaration system enables synchronized online data review and risk assessment for luggage. Crew members now only need to unpack once, with inspection time slashed from 40 minutes to under 10 minutes—a 70% efficiency gain compared to traditional methods.
"This center embodies our deepened collaboration with border inspection to enhance port governance," said Lai Fan, Director of Huangdao Customs Port Supervision. "By leveraging technology for precision checks, we’ve reduced clearance time while improving service quality, allowing crews quicker reunions and injecting tangible momentum into optimizing the port business environment."
The center is equipped with biometric scanners, X-ray machines, explosive/drug detectors, handheld radiation monitors, and rare-earth magnet detectors. It also employs electronic seals and real-time data sharing to ensure end-to-end traceability from disembarkation to release.
"Beyond time savings, this represents an upgrade in service philosophy," noted Luo Wei, Head of Huangdao Border Inspection. "Our integrated approach has eliminated the 'last mile' challenges in crew changes."
As the world’s fourth-largest port and China’s second-busiest foreign trade hub, Qingdao Port handles over 18,000 international vessels and 380,000 crew movements annually across 700+ global ports. Enhancing crew change efficiency here significantly impacts trade facilitation and national image.
Projections indicate the Huangdao center will serve 18,000+ crew changes by 2026, boosting convenience for rest, rotations, and local spending—key to elevating Qingdao’s competitiveness as a premier international shipping hub.
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