Chongqing Port Authority announced recently that it would speed up the modernisation of the waterway network in the upper reaches of the Yangtze by investing an additional Rmb24.5bn over the next three years, reported Chongqing Daily. By 2012, the municipality will be connected by the waterway to Sichuan, Guiyang, Yunnan, southern Shanxi, eastern Tibet, southern Gansu and western Hubei. In the first five months of this year, the city invested Rmb1.15bn in the Yangtze.

The additional investment will be spent on 10 dredging projects and 21 terminal projects. Efforts will also be made to develop 3,000-5,000 dwt vessels suitable for shipping conditions on the upper reaches of the Yangtze. By 2012, the city will increase its general cargo handling capacity from the current 110m tons to 150m tons and for containers from 960,000 teu to 5m teu.

The responsibility of developing the Yangtze ports and tributaries was transferred to local governments after a decentralisation and reform programme was carried out in the early years of this decade. The central government is now only responsible for developing and maintaining the Yangtze trunkline.