On August 24, the provincial Department of Transport reported that Hainan has been intensifying its focus on becoming a global shipping hub in recent years. The province is enhancing port infrastructure, fostering modern shipping services, optimizing the business environment at ports, and deepening domestic and international shipping collaborations to elevate its overall shipping capabilities and drive high-quality growth in the sector.
Port infrastructure upgrades continue to accelerate. The expansion of the Yangpu International Container Hub Port and the deepening of its 200,000-ton waterway have been completed and put into operation, raising navigational capacity to accommodate the world's largest container vessels. Yangpu Port now operates 53 production berths with a total container handling capacity of 4.73 million TEUs.
The integration of the Qiongzhou Strait port and shipping operations is progressing steadily. Flight intervals have been optimized, specialized ro-ro vessels for new energy vehicles have been deployed to handle daily cross-strait traffic, and a new cargo ro-ro route between Macun and Xuwen has been launched to ease freight congestion. The port's road network is also improving, with the Yangpu Port Access Road and Expressway now fully connected, enhancing internal and external connectivity. The province now operates 78 domestic and international container routes, strengthening its reach to near and far seas.
Smart and green port initiatives are advancing, with projects like 5G-enabled smart logistics and driverless container trucks now in use. A smart logistics platform enables paperless oversight across the entire supply chain, while ship shore power and pollution monitoring systems have been fully established.
Modern shipping services are rapidly clustering. Hainan continues to deepen institutional innovation in the shipping sector, operating the International Ship Registration Authority at a high standard. A total of 100 vessels are now registered under the "China Yangpu Port" flag, representing over 8.89 million deadweight tons of capacity. Specialized services such as bonded fuel and green energy refueling are being developed, with plans advancing for the Yangpu bonded fuel supply center and green methanol and LNG refueling bases.
The business environment for shipping is also being optimized. Policies unique to the Free Trade Port, including ship tax rebates and duty-free overseas maintenance, have been implemented. Twenty measures to improve the shipping business environment have been introduced, alongside reforms like consolidated ship approval processes and zero-visit administrative services, significantly boosting government service efficiency.