A WORLD-CLASS port cluster, with its core in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), is quickly taking shape.

Four port cities along the Pearl River — Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Zhuhai and Dongguan, each now have a cargo throughput of over 100 million tons, and by 2035, the ports of Shenzhen and Guangzhou will be fully built into world-class first-rate ports, information from the Department of Transport of Guangdong Province said.

With its rapid progress in terms of construction and the proposed concept of a “golden inner bay” 100 kilometers around the Pearl River estuary, the GBA has seen its port cluster usher in new opportunities in the construction of large-scale and specialized port terminals, waterways and shipping networks.

According to the provincial transport authority, the Shenzhen and Guangzhou’s container throughput ranked fourth and fifth globally, respectively. The GBA port cluster’s international container shipping lines cover the world’s major trade ports.

Statistics also showed that as of the end of 2021, the navigation mileage of Guangdong’s inland waterways had reached 12,000 kilometers, ranking second in the country, including 1,402 kilometers of high-grade inland waterways.

In 2021, Guangdong had six port cities with cargo throughput exceeding 100 million tons, specifically Guangzhou (651 million tons), Shenzhen (278 million tons), Zhanjiang (256 million tons), Dongguan (189 million tons), Zhuhai (128 million tons) and Jiangmen (105 million tons).

The “Port Layout Plan of Guangdong Province (2021-2035)” recently issued by the General Office of the Guangdong Provincial Government proposed that the province build a “one core and two poles” development pattern with the Pearl River Delta port cluster as the core and the eastern and western Guangdong port clusters as the poles.

The plan proposes to deepen the strategic positioning and development orientation of its two international seaport hubs, namely Guangzhou and Shenzhen. And Guangdong’s main port cities are Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Shantou, Zhanjiang, Foshan, Zhaoqing and Qingyuan.

It also aims, overall, to have Zhuhai, Shantou and Zhanjiang ports reach world-class levels by 2035.  (Zhang Yu)