The vast, deep, and long coastline of Shandong Port's Qingdao Port, bathed in the strong sea breeze, serves as a crucial engine driving Qingdao's high-quality economic and social development. It promotes industry with the port and revitalizes the city with industry, unleashing an unceasing surge of power.
As the largest foreign trade port in northern China, the world's fifth-largest container port, and a key hub for opening up in Northeast Asia, Qingdao Port achieved its first milestone of 10 million TEUs in 2009. Since then, its development pace has accelerated, successively surpassing the historic marks of 20 million TEUs in 2019 and 30 million TEUs in 2023. By 2025, data from the Ministry of Transport shows Qingdao Port's cargo throughput reached 740 million tons, ranking fourth globally, while its container throughput reached 32.89 million TEUs, ranking fifth globally, injecting powerful port and shipping momentum into regional development.
All past achievements are merely prologue. Today, with Dongjiakou at its core, Qingdao has embarked on a new journey to 'build an enhanced version of Qingdao Port.'
The Foundation for an Enhanced Port
During the 2026 National Two Sessions, Qingdao City mentioned that during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, it will invest over 70 billion yuan to build a "new Qingdao Port" in Dongjiakou, significantly enhancing the port's external transport and throughput capacity. Where does the confidence to 'build an enhanced version of Qingdao Port' come from? The answer lies in the port's timely, comprehensive transformation from 'expanding scale' to 'strengthening capabilities,' and from a 'physical hub' to a 'rule-making high ground.'
Expanding the Gateway
Giant ship unloaders operate efficiently like steel giants, as massive vessels laden with cargo arrive and depart, connecting trade arteries between China and the world. According to the latest data from the Ministry of Transport, in the first five months of 2026, Qingdao Port handled a cumulative cargo throughput of 317 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 3.7%; container throughput reached 14.56 million TEUs, a year-on-year increase of 7.5%. These rising figures bear witness to the port's sustained high-quality development momentum and provide solid support for building an enhanced version.
Without a stable, abundant, and continuously growing cargo throughput as its 'chassis,' even the most advanced smart port area would become an inoperable 'steel盆景.' Ships arrive from all corners of the world, and goods are dispatched in all directions. Amidst the sound of whistles, the vessel 'MSC HELIADE III' successfully completed loading 611 TEUs, weighed anchor, and set sail for Haiphong and Ho Chi Minh ports in Vietnam, embedding a new direct route to Vietnam into Qingdao Port's global shipping map. In the first half of this year alone, Qingdao Port added 15 new container routes, bringing the total close to 240, with route density ranking first among northern Chinese ports.
In recent years, Qingdao Port has continuously densified its maritime route network, improved short-sea routes to regions like Southeast Asia, expanded deep-sea routes to Europe and America, and actively increased advantageous routes along the Belt and Road. This has formed an international shipping pattern of 'connecting Japan and Korea to the east, Central Asia to the west, ASEAN to the south, Russia and Mongolia to the north, and radiating globally.' This strongly ensures the security and stability of global industrial and supply chains and continuously strengthens Qingdao's capacity to serve global trade.
A globally connected hub requires a widely radiating service area. The increasingly dense sea-rail intermodal network has expanded Qingdao Port's reach from the sea deep into the hinterland. Sea-rail intermodal trains run ceaselessly like steel dragons, transporting goods such as Qinghai's local specialties and Yinchuan's chemical raw materials from the Yellow River basin to Qingdao via rail, before being shipped nationwide or globally.
Based on the seaport and radiating inland, Qingdao Port continues to extend its logistics service radius. To date, the port has established 57 inland ports, with over 80% of its sea-rail intermodal train routes reaching the nine provinces along the Yellow River. Models like the 'single document system' and 'single container system' extend the 'port of departure' to the 'doorstep' of inland enterprises. In 2025, Qingdao's sea-rail intermodal container volume ranked first in the nation for the eleventh consecutive year.
Like the sea embracing all rivers, the 'streams of cargo flow' from the vast hinterland inject inexhaustible momentum into the port's throughput leap. At the end of 2025, the Dongjiakou-Wulian Railway and Jiaoxin Railway capacity expansion and renovation project, with a total investment of approximately 17.577 billion yuan, officially commenced. This railway, traversing four cities—Qingdao, Weifang, Rizhao, and Linyi—is scheduled to open in 2028. Upon completion, the external railway channel capacity of the Dongjiakou port area will exceed 110 million tons, completely breaking the 'big port, small channel' development bottleneck.
Building an enhanced version of Qingdao Port is not just about extending the wharf shoreline; it is about weaving an efficient logistics network that connects rivers and seas, ensures smooth cargo flow, links internal and external markets, and drives major regional development.
New Driving Forces
The 'dual carbon' strategy and industrial upgrading are reshaping the competitive logic of global ports. In the past, ports competed on hardware and scale; in the future, low-carbon collection and distribution capacity and green logistics supporting capabilities will become crucial factors determining port competitiveness.
At the dry bulk cargo terminal in Qianwan Port Area of Qingdao Port, operational equipment is ready as soon as a vessel docks. The efficiency of 'commencing work upon berthing' benefits from the precise command of the newly upgraded 'Berth Scheduling Intelligent System 2.0' this year. With this system, the entire process requires no human intervention. It can automatically capture 132 key elements like ship schedules and berths to generate the optimal berthing plan, reducing the plan generation time from about 2 hours manually to 1 minute, and increasing scheduling accuracy from 75% to 90%.
The driving force for 'building an enhanced version of Qingdao Port' is embedded in this 'intelligence.' Automated guided vehicles shuttling automatically, high-speed operating rails, and the orderly handling of massive cargo even in complete darkness... At Qingdao Port, smart operational scenarios are flourishing everywhere. This intelligence is reflected not only in the smart, streamlined port facilities but also throughout the entire chain of production operation management and external services.
The import container pickup process, which previously took 4 hours, is now compressed to 20 minutes using blockchain technology, with a simultaneous reduction in carbon emissions of about 15%. A shipment of pulp, from loading at Santos Port in Brazil to unloading at Qingdao Port and then to feeding into a domestic paper mill's production line, can achieve a fully paperless operation. Over 20 types of robots cover key scenarios such as terminal loading/unloading, oil tank areas, and power inspections, reshaping port production quality and efficiency.
Behind the intelligence lies 'computing power.' Leveraging the advantages of being a national AI application pilot base in the transportation sector, Qingdao Port is accelerating the deep integration of AI technology with port operation management. It has launched 19 intelligent systems covering all-element scheduling, container vessel stowage, and the Ark TaaS platform, driving efficient port operations through intelligence and facilitating low-carbon port transformation through greening.
It is worth noting that innovation achievements are accelerating their rollout nationwide. The first fully self-developed, independently controllable port-specific visual computing chip, 'Shangang Zhixin • Xingyu SA5200,' has been developed. Starboat cameras equipped with this chip have been applied in areas like port tugboat monitoring.
The world's first 'Hydrogen + 5G' automated terminal, the world's first intelligent aerial rail collection and distribution system, the world's largest methanol dual-fuel container ship completing its maiden voyage, and breaking the world record for automated terminal loading/unloading efficiency 13 times... Through these 'firsts' and instances of 'leadership,' 30 million containers have been tagged with 'digital, intelligent, green' labels. This century-old major port is gradually taking on the appearance of a 'world-class strong port.'
Elevating the Service Tier
According to the 'Qingdao Port Master Plan (2035),' Qingdao Port will continuously accelerate its transformation from a logistics port to a hub port, trade port, financial port, and digital-intelligent port. Achieving breakthroughs in high-end shipping services has become a key fulcrum for 'building an enhanced version of Qingdao Port.'
Relying on the Shandong Port Shipping Finance Center and the China North International Oil and Gas Center, Qingdao Port is actively expanding businesses such as warehouse receipt pledges, supply chain finance, shipping insurance, and maritime law. High-end elements including banking, insurance, leasing, and legal services are rapidly gathering.
The landing of a project by the globally top-ten Greek classification society Phoenix填补 a gap in Qingdao. The world's largest container shipping company, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), registered and established a ship management company. The first domestic headquarters-level specialized marine insurance institution, PICC Marine Insurance Center, was officially established... With the completion of these projects, the hub capability of Qingdao Port has reached a new level.
Furthermore, the integrated development of port, industry, and city opens up even broader space. Qingdao Port transforms its coastal advantage into maritime development动能, deeply advancing port-industry-city integrated development. Four 100-billion-yuan industrial clusters—high-end chemicals and new materials, modern logistics and trade, special steel and equipment manufacturing, and port-side processing—are rapidly taking shape in the Dongjiakou port area.
Projects like the Louis Dreyfus Company Food Technology Industry Center, Sinograin storage facilities, and grain and oil bases have successively settled in. The industrial agglomeration effect continues to be released, driving synergistic development among upstream and downstream enterprises, effectively promoting the growth of port-side industrial clusters, and attracting talent across multiple fields including port operation, logistics management, and financial trade to settle in Qingdao.
In the 'Xinhua • Baltic International Shipping Centre Development Index' ranking, Qingdao historically surpassed traditional renowned ports like Tokyo and Busan, steadily holding the top position among northern Chinese port clusters and playing an increasingly important role in the global shipping landscape.
Where does the confidence to 'build an enhanced version of Qingdao Port' come from? This is a question of the era and a weighty mission.
Turning Blueprints into Reality
Currently, the blueprint for 'building an enhanced version of Qingdao Port' is rapidly becoming reality, with all construction and development work in full swing. A matrix of major infrastructure projects is being fully deployed, rapidly addressing hardware shortcomings. In the Qianwan Port Area, the North Shore Container Terminal Upgrade and Renovation Project is accelerating to build a leading container hub port in Northeast Asia. In the Dongjiakou Port Area, key projects like Berths 7-8 at the North Third Mole, the Wan Di General Terminal in the Langyatai Bay Operation Area, and the Eastern Container Terminal in the Langyatai Bay Operation Area are advancing rapidly. Upon completion, they are expected to add an annual throughput capacity of 26 million tons and 11 million TEUs.
The shipping operation industry continues to grow, and service capabilities are steadily leaping forward. The Qingdao Dongjiakou Port Area Pilotage Base Project has officially commenced construction. This is Qingdao's first internationally advanced pilotage base project. Upon completion, it will significantly enhance the safety assurance capability for piloting large vessels, optimize port navigation efficiency, and promote the intelligent upgrade of pilotage services.
From scale expansion破解 spatial bottlenecks, to efficiency innovation driven by digital intelligence, to the value leap of high-end shipping services, Qingdao Port is solidifying its foundation with hard power, defining new heights with soft power, and opening up the future with new tracks. It is transforming the question of 'how to rebuild' into the practice of 'daring to rebuild,' better solidifying the foundation for building a world-class international shipping center, helping the city's capability tier to continuously leap forward, and showcasing the innovative vitality and developmental resilience of Chinese ports to the world.
The tides of the Yellow Sea surge, flowing ceaselessly. Qingdao Port on the path of high-quality development is forever on the journey, forever surpassing itself.