News / Cosco to play a major role in China's container hub ambitions for Yangpu Port

China’s Yangpu Port, on Hainan Island, is set to become another container shipping hub for state-owned group Cosco.

Cosco’s Hainan branch chairman, Mr Hu Ke, said last week that Yangpu’s route planning would go in all directions.

He said: “Eastward, we want to link Yangpu to North and South America; and westward to the Indian subcontinent, Middle East and even Europe.”

Southward, Yangpu will continue to build on its intra-Asia connections to South-east Asia, and northward, the port will expand its feedering links to other Chinese and east Asian ports.

“Through the ‘dual circulation’ of domestic and foreign trade, we will turn Yangpu into a major international port,” he added.

Yangpu’s 2024 container volumes increased 9% year on year, to 2m teu, which Linerlytica analyst Tan Hua Joo said could support a small direct long-haul service. The port, part of the China-Asean free trade area, is now building five berths to accommodate 15,000-20,000 teu ships, with one expected to be accessible by year-end. Its main exports are textiles, garments and electrical appliances.

Officials at China Communications Construction, which is building the berths, said the main wharf had been completed and construction of connecting roads was under way.

Chen Yang, mayor of Danzhou, the city where Yangpu port is, said that through Cosco, Yangpu hoped to achieve these goals by building relations with the ports of Singapore and Chancay in Peru. By 2028, it is hoped annual container throughput will reach 5m teu.

The Ministry of Transport recently approved the Yangpu Port Master Plan (2024-2035) containing the state’s ambition of turning Yangpu into a major port. It is estimated that by 2035, annual container throughput will reach 12m teu.

 Drewry senior analyst (ports and terminals) Eleanor Hadland told The Loadstar a desire to create long-haul links was a natural progression for nascent ports.

She said: “This is the usual development pattern for ports in emerging Asia which are well located vis a vis the main east-west tradelanes. For ports in China, investments are typically well planned, with alignment between port investment, inland transport investment and investment in hinterland industrial base.”