The 2005 China International Maritime Exhibition is slated for Dec. 6-9 in Shanghai, and the world's shipbuilding giants will show their presence in the exhibition, said a staff from the organization committee.

Those confirmed to attend the event include Hyundai Heavy Industries from the Republic of Korea (ROK), and shipbuilding enterprises from Denmark and Germany. The ROK exhibition group said they will expand their exhibition floor space by 50 percent this year.

ROK, the world's No. 1 shipbuilding nation, accounts for some 40 percent of the world's production in 2004. The Hyundai Heavy Industries is the largest shipbuilding firm in the world, which has built 64 ships in 2004, with total income of 3.87 billion US dollars.

China has kept fast growth in container handling capacity. The port of Shanghai has witnessed a container handling capacity of more than 14.50 million TEU last year, and is expected to exceed 17 million TEU in 2005.

China international maritime exhibition is held every two years, and this year's event is co-held by the Chinese Commission of Science Technology and Industry for National Defense, Ministry of Communications and the Shanghai municipal government.

Source: Xinhua