Mr Zhang Tongbin, director of Jiangsu Maritime Safety Authorities, announced at a recent press conference in Nanjing that the MSA has completed integrating the entire supervision system for the Jiangsu section of the Yangtze River. This means that his staff are now able to monitor shipping activities across the province.

The Jiangsu section of the Yangtze accounts for more than 60 per cent of all traffic on the river, so the completion of the integration stage represents a significant step forward in the Yangtze modernisation programme.