The governments of the municipalities of Beijing and Tianjin as well as Hebei province signed a framework agreement on deepening port cooperation among the three areas on Tuesday. The deal was inked in Tangshan, Hebei, to better share resources for integrated development, according to a report from China Central Television.

The agreement proposes 12 areas of cooperation involving port services, customs clearance and policy coordination, to strengthen communication among port departments for a more efficient, scientific and smooth working mechanism.

The goal is to create a market-oriented and internationalized business environment for the region's ports, and promote the high-quality development of an export-oriented economy.