"We vow to build Xiamen port into a leading port in Fujian province based on the opening-up policy!" The first phase of Songyu port project co-constructed with A.P. Moller �C Maersk Group, a leading international ocean shipping group, is the prelude to another new round construction of deepwater ports. There are three ports under construction in the first phase of Songyu port project, and all of them are reserved for 100,000-tonnage containers.

Ports are the biggest resource advantage of Fujian province. The total usable coastal line in Fujian province stands at 468.8 kilometres, including 210.9 kilometres of deepwater coastal line. There are also seven places that are capable of constructing deepwater ports above 50,000-tonnage and super-large-scale deepwater port line above 200,000 �C 300,000 tonnage.

Since the beginning of 2005, a total of 375 million yuan has been invested for the ocean shipping project in the first quarter in Fujian province, a year-on-year increase of 80.6 percent. Currently, there are 34 berths under construction that are above 10,000-tonnage. Of the total berths, 23 are in Xiamen port, 8 in Fuzhou port, 2 in Meizhou and 1 in Dening. It is estimated that the cargo handling capacity of all the ports in Fujian in 2005 will reach 170 million tons, with the containers exceeding 5 million, 2.5 times and 3 times more that those in 2000.

To better turn the ports advantage into economic one, Fujian province is now vigorously building the ports group west of the Taiwan Straits, another important ports group after Yangtze Delta Region, Pearl River Delta Region and Pan-Bohai-Sea ports group, making it a vital channel in improving cooperation and exchanges between Fujian and Taiwan and promoting peace and early reunification across the Straits. Fujian province plans to build two 100-million-tonnage ports (Fuzhou port and Xiamen port) by 2010. By then, the annual provincial ports handling capacity will reach 300 million tons, including 120 million TEU.

By People's Daily Online