An aerial drone photo shows a panoramic view of Yangshan Port of Shanghai Port, east China, Dec. 18, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

Shanghai Port became the first in the world to see the annual container throughput exceed 50 million 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) on Sunday.

The port has ranked first globally for 14 consecutive years in terms of annual container throughput.

According to Yang Yanbin, deputy general manager of the production and business department of the Shanghai International Port (Group) Co., Ltd (SIPG), the growth of container throughput indicates that China's complete industrial system and manufacturing capability continue to empower global trade.

Seen as a window of China's opening up and collaboration with the world as well as an engine boosting trade and exchanges, Shanghai Port saw its annual container throughput top 1 million in 1994.

Yang noted that the growth in container throughput at Shanghai Port was driven not only by the rise in export-heavy containers but also by an increase in international transfer containers and ship-to-ship transfer volumes.

"The port's robust functionality and high-quality services attract large cargo ships from around the world," he said, adding that the proportion of ship-to-ship transfers at the port is expected to reach a record 60 percent in 2024, which highlights the continued enhancement of Shanghai Port's role as a global hub.

At present, the Shanghai Port boasts nearly 350 international ship routes reaching more than 700 ports in over 200 countries and regions around the world.

The development of Shanghai Port reflects the broader transformation of Shanghai as a whole.

The eastern Chinese metropolis has once again secured third place in the 2024 Xinhua-Baltic International Shipping Center Development Index Report, demonstrating that its status as an international shipping center of great significance has been continuously consolidated.

According to Shanghai Customs, the daily import and export value of goods handled by Shanghai Port averages 29.8 billion yuan (about 4 billion U.S. dollars), about 1.24 billion yuan per hour.

In recent years the application of science and technology has greatly improved the efficiency of terminal operations.

In 2017, the Yangshan phase IV automated terminal became operational, helping Shanghai Port surpass the 40 million TEU container throughput milestone that year. With a 70 percent reduction in workforce, the terminal's overall efficiency increased by 30 percent, while per capita labor productivity reached 213 percent of that at a traditional terminal.

"The ITOS intelligent control system is China's first successful effort to break the foreign monopoly on port software technology," said Huang Heng, general manager of the Nezha Intelligent Technology Company with SIPG, noting that these smart ports not only play a key role in advancing China's shipping industry but also draw interest from foreign ports looking to collaborate.

The Chancay port in Peru is a prime example, where Chinese technologies have helped establish South America's first intelligent port and create a new land-sea transport corridor between Latin America and Asia.

Shanghai Port is also actively pursuing a green transformation. Since last year, it has signed agreements with the ports of Los Angeles and Hamburg to jointly develop green shipping corridors. In April, the Shanghai Port successfully completed its first ship-to-ship synchronous green methanol fueling operation for large container ships.

Luo Wenbin, general manager of SIPG energy, noted that the next step would be to transform Shanghai Port into a "green energy fueling center."

"By 2030, we aim to achieve the 'double 100' goal, with liquefied natural gas (LNG) fueling capacity reaching one million cubic meters and green methanol and biofuels fueling capacity reaching one million tonnes," he said.