China has seven of the world’s top 10 ports based on cargo and container throughput. They are in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Ningbo, Guangzhou, Qingdao and Tianjin. Last year, containers transported at all ports in China could have spanned the equator 35 times. According to a report released by the Ministry of Transport, Chinese ports last year handled 14 billion metric tons of cargo and 238 million TEU of containers. The report, “Development Statistics of the Transport Industry in 2017” also said that the Port of Shanghai is the world’s largest in terms of container volume. Last year, the port’s annual handling capacity surpassed 40 million TEU to reach 10% of the annual throughput of the world’s seaports, setting a record.

While throughput volume is rising, Chinese ports are also striving to upgrade. The Port of Shenzhen has developed the concept of a “green port”, incorporating an entire system of intelligent yards and maritime planning, intelligent container identification technology, and emissions reduction technology to enhance its transportation infrastructure and capacity. The world’s leading artificial port is in Tianjin, which can handle the largest vessels in the Bohai Sea. The Port of Guangzhou, the fifth-largest in China, has the longest history. Its international maritime trading activities can be traced back over 2,000 years. The port is also a logistics hub for the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). It has formed sister-port friendships with nearly 50 cities globally, as it aims to propose an “international harbor city alliance”, the China Daily reports.

China celebrated National Maritime Day on July 11, marking the first voyage of Zheng He, the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) navigator who made seven voyages to show China’s might to the rest of the world.