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April Yangtze gathering to boost port investments

April Yangtze gathering to boost port investments

Shanghai: Shipping and port companies alike are only now understanding the possibilities for growth along China's massive Yangtze river, and investment upstream is likely to take off in the coming years, says Zhang Tingting, China consultant for Alain Charles Publishing, organizers of the Yangtze Business Network to be held on April 12 at the Regal International Hotel in Shanghai.

"The Yangtze represents the best container growth potential in China in the coming five years," she said, while trying to drum up support for the inaugural event, which will see major lines such as Maersk and CMA CGM rub shoulders with senior port executives from Shanghai all the way up to Chongqing. 

"What most investors seemed to have missed are the tremendous opportunities upstream. For years people felt that this section of the river was a no go thanks to limited drafts. That has changed dramatically and the area from Wuhan to Jingzhou experienced box growth of 100% last year, four times the national average. Yet this area has yet to attract the kind of international port investment that coastal regions have enjoyed. Our gathering in Shanghai should change both perceptions and investments."  [27/02/07]