China has more than 10,000 shipping berths

STATE Statistics Bureau numbers reveal China has 10,848 berths, including 1,108 deep-water berths with capacity over 10,000 tonnes, Xinhua reported.

The reason given for growth is that the container business has been rising rapidly in recent years along with the improvement and expansion of port infrastructure.

Statistics show container volume by ship came to 23.3 million TEU, up 89.1 per cent compared with the volume of 2002, representing an annual average growth of 17.3 per cent during 2002-2006.

Major ports in China handled 4.6 billion tons of cargo in 2006, double the volume handled in 2002 and accounting for an annual average growth of 19.6 per cent over four years, the report said.