The Beibu Gulf Port in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region has been listed as an international hub port in China's comprehensive three-dimensional transport plan, officials from Guangxi's transport department said on March 1.

The layout was released by the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the State Council.

The annual container throughput of Beibu Gulf Port reached 5.05 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) in 2020, ranking in the top 10 among China's coastal ports and the top 40 around the world.

A person in charge of Beibu Gulf Port Group said that many factors have contributed to the development of the Beibu Gulf Port. For example, the central government has been reinforcing the large-scale development of the western region in recent years, the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor has been made one of the national development strategies, and construction has been pushed forward on a batch of major national opening-up platforms such as the China (Guangxi) Pilot Free Trade Zone and the open financial gateway for ASEAN.

Huang Wenchuan, deputy head of the Development and Reform Commission of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, said that the Beibu Gulf Port has operated 4,607 sea-rail intermodal freight trains, covering 49 stations in 23 cities in seven provinces or autonomous regions in West China. 

Chen Hongqi, head of the Transport Department of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, noted that Guangxi will firmly grasp the opportunity to conduct further research in the planning of the Beibu Gulf Port and to promote the construction of a batch of projects for both hardware and software.

In addition, the region will make full use of its geographic location as it is linked with ASEAN countries to promote the industrial system formed in the Beibu Gulf Port abroad, and carry out investment and cooperation in areas spanning ports, industrial parks and industries with countries along the Belt and Road such as Malaysia, Brunei and Thailand.