China’s Major Ports
China is recognized for its production and shipping capacities. With its lengthy coastline, China’s ports and harbors serve various purposes such as trade, fishing, and transportation. China is one of the world’s largest exporters, and its ports act as significant hubs for transporting a wide range of products globally, such as consumer goods, minerals, vehicles, and agricultural products. The development of China has been significantly influenced by its shipping ports, which play a crucial role in facilitating global trade.
Shanghai Port
In January 2003, the Shanghai Port Authority underwent restructuring, leading to the formation of the Shanghai International Port (Group) Co., Ltd (SIPG) to operate public terminals at the Shanghai Port. By June 2005, its legal status changed to a joint-stock company, and on October 26, 2006, it was listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, becoming the first of its kind in China. Located centrally on the eastern coast of mainland China, the Shanghai Port converges with the Yangtze River and the coastal shipping routes, also known as the “golden waterway”. It offers accessibility to the south and north coasts of China, all the oceans across the globe, the Yangtze River basin, the inland rivers of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui provinces, and the Taihu Lake basin. The port sits in a strategic geographical region with exceptional natural features and boasts a strong hinterland economy. It is serviced by well-connected road and railway networks and fully established freight collection and distribution systems.
Shenzhen Port
Shenzhen Port is situated in China’s Guangdong Province, south of the Zhujiang River Delta. It’s one of China’s principal ports in terms of foreign trade. Several harbors along the Shenzhen coastline are termed as Shenzhen Port, covering a total coastal length of about 260 kilometers. The Kowloon Peninsula divides the port into east and west sections. The port hosts about 40 shipping companies and has also launched 130 international container lines. Serving with approximately 230 international container routes, more than 300 ports in over 100 countries connect with Shenzhen. The future layout of Shenzhen Port is envisaged as “two wings, six regions, and three main ports.” The east and west divided port groups are termed as “two wings”. The “six regions” encompass the eastern Yantian and Dapeng port regions and the western Nanshan, Dachan Bay, Dachan Island, Xiaochan Island, and Bao’an port regions. Yantian Port, Nanshan Port, and Dachan Bay Port are highlighted as the “three main ports”, emphasizing container transport, showcasing the core competitiveness of Shenzhen Port.
Ningbo-Zhoushan Port
Ningbo Zhoushan Port is managed by the largely state-owned company, Zhejiang Provincial Seaport Investment & Operation Group Co. Ltd., which is also referred to as the Zhejiang Port Group. This group operates with more than 310 businesses and roughly 30,000 employees. Their main operations involve the development and utilization of marine resources, investing in the marine industry, management of marine and port-related resources, and capital management, investments in port design and operations, shipping services, warehousing, trade, and raw material processing, marine engineering construction, port engineering design, and inspection. The group is progressing by integrating port resources in the province, adhering to forward-looking planning, construction, branding, and operation concepts. The group is determined to manage the port assets in an integrated, comprehensive, and intensive manner, aiming to create a first-class modern port cluster.
Guangzhou Port
Guangzhou Port is the main port in Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, China. The port is operated by the state-owned Guangzhou Port Group Company. It currently stands as the largest and most comprehensive port in South China. It services international maritime trade with over 300 ports in more than 80 countries and regions worldwide. The port is also a significant transport and economic hub for Guangdong province and the Zhujiang Delta. It serves as a crucial transport center for enterprises in nearby provinces like Jiangxi, Yunnan, Guangxi, Guizhou, Sichuan, Hunan, and Hubei. Guangzhou Port is located at the confluence point of three major rivers in South China, namely, Dongxiang, Xinjiang, and Beijing. The intersection of these three rivers with the waterway, railway, highway, and airways forms a pivotal transportation hub. It operates as the primary port in the Zhujiang Delta region.
Hong Kong Port
Hong Kong Port, a deep-water harbor near the South China Sea, is primarily used for transporting goods in containers, with raw materials and passengers coming second and third. The natural harbor and deep waters of Victoria Harbor, crucial to Hong Kong’s economic development, offer perfect conditions for all types of ships to dock and be processed. It’s one of the busiest ports in the world in terms of maritime movements, freight handling, and passenger transport. For many years, the port ranked among the top container ports. Between 1987-1989, 1992-1997, and 1999-2004, it ranked as the world’s busiest cargo port. In 2016, 25,869 container ships, with a net register tonnage of 386,853 tons, passed through the container terminals of the Hong Kong port.
Qingdao Port
Qingdao Port, a maritime port located near Qingdao in the Shandong Province of the People’s Republic of China, stands by the Yellow Sea and ranks among the top ten busiest ports globally. In 2011, Qingdao Port in East China’s Shandong Province formed a strategic partnership with three other Chinese ports and the largest port in the Republic of South Korea. Ports from Qingdao, Yantai, Rizhao, Weihai, and the Republic of South Korea’s Busan came together to form an alliance aiming to establish a maritime and logistics hub in Northeast Asia. Qingdao port operates its four sections as independent ports. Dagang and Qianwan manage cargo and container traffic. Qingdao port is an international terminal, whereas Qianwan typically deals with domestic containers. The port also houses a significant facility for processing iron ore loads.
Tianjin Port
Tianjin, also known as Tanggu port, is the largest port in Northern China. It’s also considered the primary maritime entry point for Beijing. This port handles an average of 500 million tons of cargo annually. It has undergone significant expansions over the years to accommodate its vast volume of goods. It’s continuously being developed to enhance its capacity. This Chinese port is always open and serves people and various types of cargo. The port is renowned for transporting liquid and petroleum loads. The transport of liquid sodium and propylene is also one of its main services. Moreover, it has roll-on and roll-off terminals for grains and other edible oils.
Dalian Port
Dalian Port has been in operation since 1899 and is currently operated by the Dalian Port Company. Located in Liaoning province on the Liaodong peninsula, it is the northernmost ice-free port in China. The port has more than 80 berths, of which 50 can accommodate ships carrying over 10,000 tons of cargo. The port primarily reloads refined petroleum, coal, grain, and mineral oil. More than 300 ports from 160 countries send ships to Dalian. Dalian Port serves over 90 trade routes, both domestic and international, and ranks as China’s second-largest transshipment hub.
Xiamen Port
Xiamen is a deep-sea port located on Xiamen Island along the Jiulongjiang River. In terms of cargo volume, it ranks 17th globally and is one of the rare ports capable of accommodating mega-ships and sixth-generation vessels. The Xiamen Municipality owns a significant portion of Xiamen, and it’s managed through the Xiamen Port Authority. After merging with Zhangzhou Port in 2010, it became one of the world’s largest ports. Currently, it’s the largest port in Southeast China. The port has a total of 74 berths spread across 12 operating areas. Nine of them are specially designed terminals for container handling, while the rest are used for cargo. On average, these berths can process 10,000 tons of cargo, but some can handle up to 100,000 tons. The port features a mooring depth of 17 meters on average and spans an area of 30 kilometers. It includes several operating areas like Haitian, Liwudian, Dongdu, and Heping.
Yingkou Port
Yingkou Port is one of the smallest ports in China but is larger than some of the largest ports in other countries. Operated by the Yingkou Port Group Company for the Republic, it has 27 berths and numerous smaller docks and piers. The primary imports to the country through this port are grain, coal, steel, and cars. The main exports are food products, electronics, mass-produced goods, containerized goods, and machinery parts. The port has two functional areas: the Old Yingkou Port on the Daliao River and the Bayuquan Port on the Bohai Sea. It offers services like loading for incoming ships, pipeline transportation, piloting, communication ships, road and rail transport. China Ocean Shipping Company (COSCO) and the port authorities jointly built the main Bayuquan container terminal.
Rizhao Port
Located on the southern coast of the Shandong Peninsula in the People’s Republic of China, Rizhao Port is a natural deep-water port opening to the Yellow Sea. Rizhao is in Shandong province. The port has a total of 46 deep-water berths across its two main port areas, Lanzhou and Shijiu. In 2012, it processed 284 million metric tons of cargo, making it the tenth busiest port in China. The city port shares its borders with Qingdao to the northeast, Weifang to the north, and Linyi to the west-southwest. It also stretches across the Yellow Sea to Korea and Japan.
Nantong Port
Nantong Port is a crucial port in China’s Yangtze River Delta. Located in the city of Nantong in Jiangsu province, it serves as a vital gateway for trade between China and the world. The port is also a significant hub for China’s oil and gas industry. Nantong Port has a total of nine river port areas and three coastal port areas. It features 88 berths, a storage area of 65 hectares, and over five hectares of warehousing space. In 2013, the port’s cargo handling capacity was 205 million tons, showing a growth of 10.6% from 2012. Nantong Port is one of the busiest ports in China and plays a crucial role in the country’s economic development. Given the continued growth of the Chinese economy, the port is well-positioned for future expansion.
