Wuhan, the provincial capital of Hubei that straddles the Yangtze River, is raising its importance as an international port by shortening shipping time to Shanghai, the South China Morning Post reported.
The city also hopes to benefit from a US$6.3 billion government plan to dredge the Yangtze to allow much bigger vessels on the river and enable direct shipping links between Wuhan and Asian destinations such as Singapore without having to stop in Shanghai.
The government forecasts that cargo throughput along the Yangtze will rise from 1.2 billion tonnes last year to 1.8 billion tonnes in 2018.
By 2013, the dredging plan will enable ships of 10,000 dwt to sail from Wuhan to Shanghai and beyond to the Pacific Ocean year round. It is now possible only eight months of the year.
Cargonews Asia
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