NINGBO, Zhejiang : Ningbo - China's second busiest port - is planning to invest more than US$3 billion to grow its cargo capacity.
More than five million TEUs - a standard measure for cargo containers - passed through Ningbo last year, making it the 15th busiest port in the world.
But Ningbo has much bigger ambitions; it wants to be wants to be among the top 10 ports in the world by 2010.
Ningbo enjoys a long and proud maritime history.
More than 1,000 years ago, Ningbo residents discovered the naturally deep waters around the city.
And for generations this has proven to be an advantage, allowing the port to berth huge container ships like the "Houston Express".
The waterway into the port is more than 30 metres deep, so ships of up to 250,000 tonnes can navigate safely.
In fact, Ningbo is now the most popular port of call in China for super-tankers.
Over the past 15 years, cargo and container traffic through Ningbo has increased steadily.
The port handled some 5.2 million TEUs last year, up 30% from 2004.
"To support the economic growth of Zhejiang Province and to service the Yangtze Delta better, we plan to invest 27 billion yuan (US$3.4 billion) to build more berths. This is because by 2010, we intend to achieve 11 million TEUs of container throughput and 360 million tonnes of cargo throughput; a very significant increase from 2005," said Wang Jiamin, vice-president of Ningbo Port Group Ltd.
With such aggressive expansion plans, Ningbo Port is no longer content to be the world's 15th busiest port.
It is aiming for a top ten spot within five years.
"We are now ranked 4th in China and No.15 in the world. Compared to 2000, when we were ranked No. 67 in the world, this growth is very rapid. We are very confident that we'll be among the world's top 10 ports in terms of container throughput," said Wang.
The development of many coastal cities is often tied to the success of their ports, which is why these coastal cities place a lot of emphasis on the competitiveness of their ports.
And when it comes to competition, the race between China's top two port cities - Shanghai and Ningbo - seems inevitable.
Ningbo's Beilun Port is competing head on with Shanghai's newly-opened Yangshan Deepwater Port, especially since the two of them are just seventy-eight nautical miles apart.
But officials are quick to dismiss talk of competition between the two, insisting that there is more than enough business to sustain both ports.
"Shanghai has been growing at around 20% these few years, and Ningbo Port's average growth is about 40%. We have our own hinterlands, there is no overlapping," said Wang.
"While Zhejiang is the fastest growing economy in China, the Yangtze Delta has the most potential for growth; the market is big enough. It is estimated that container throughput will reach 45 million TEUs by 2010."
But even as Ningbo plans its expansion, other Chinese ports are not lying idle.
Coastal cities like Dalian in the north and Guangzhou to the south are also expanding their terminals and facilities.
- CNA /ls