Weak demand in the US and Europe could significantly reduce investment in China’s ports during the current five-year plan, according to Chinese officials reported by South China Morning Post.

Investments in the country’s ports will total between Rmb220bn and Rmb280bn between 2011 and 2015, lower than the Rmb357bn recorded in the last five-year period, said Zhu Shanqing, a senior engineer in the Planning and Research Institute at the Ministry of Transport.

“The era of high growth in our nation’s ports, with more than Rmb60bn spent each year, is basically over,” Mr Zhu said. “There will be slower, more cautious investments in the coming years to ease financial pressure. The coastal ports will not have such strong growth in demand as the 11th five-year plan period.”