Beijing has earmarked US$146.2 million to develop a new generation of ships capable of carrying cargo from inland waterways to the deepwater Yangshan Port, as part of its efforts to develop Shanghai into an international shipping hub.
Huang Rong, a director of the Shanghai Urban-Rural Development and Transport Commission, said the central government has enlisted the help of the China Classification Society, which is in charge of classification and certification of ships, to design and develop the new vessel.
The plan is aimed at saving transportation costs for exporters in the Yangtze River Delta and making better use of Yangshan Port.
According to research by the Shanghai People’s Political Consultative Conference, less than one-third of cargoes going through Yangshan Port facilities are transported to or from the port using waterways. Most of the cargoes are delivered by road. Out picture shows typical small craft on the Yangtze of today.
CargoNews Asia reports that the State Council announced in late March that it would transform Shanghai into a global shipping centre by 2020.