What China is doing to make ports ‘smart’ and not prone to work stoppages

Pelican Press · November 10

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What China is doing to make ports ‘smart’ and not prone to work stoppages

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(CMG), the mainland’s leading public port services operator, is pushing a range of

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in its global network, in a major revamp that is expected to cut costs and raise efficiency at these sites.

The

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conglomerate’s unit, China Merchants Port Holdings, has already initiated these upgrades to its network, starting with operations at the Port of

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–

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.

On the western coastline of the

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, CMG’s port unit has turned

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, a terminal that used to handle break bulk cargo of grains and sandstone, into a showcase that features remote-controlled quay cranes,

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container trucks and a digitally managed flow of goods.

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, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.

Operating the quay cranes and rubber-tyred gantry cranes used to be the most complicated part for workers at the Mawan terminal, according to She Zhenwu, director of overseas business development at CMG’s port unit.

“Now they can operate it all remotely, while sitting in a cosy control room,” She told reporters at a briefing on Thursday in Shenzhen.

A bird’s-eye view of Mawan terminal, part of the vast Port of Shenzhen in southern Guangdong province. Photo: SCMP alt=A bird’s-eye view of Mawan terminal, part of the vast Port of Shenzhen in southern Guangdong province. Photo: SCMP>

CMG’s upgraded Mawan operation is the latest example of China’s ambition to quickly modernise its vast infrastructure and traditional industries using the latest technologies, including

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, digital-automation systems and

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(AI).

Telecommunications equipment giant

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, for example, has

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, northern China’s biggest seaport, with its 5G infrastructure put in place. Huawei has also

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to cut by half the number of miners who work 100 metres below ground through the deployment of AI and a 5G mobile network.

******** ports’ digital transformation is in stark contrast to the situation in the

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, where concerns about job losses from automation led to a

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last month by dockworkers – the biggest work stoppage of its kind in nearly half a century – that shut down shipping on the East Coast and Gulf of Mexico.

Story Continues

A

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to end the strike was reached on October 4. It threatened shortages of everything from bananas to auto parts, according to a Reuters report.

An aerial view of the Port of Tianjin, where the quay cranes, gantry cranes, stackers and forklifts are all controlled by a remote command centre. Photo: Xinhua alt=An aerial view of the Port of Tianjin, where the quay cranes, gantry cranes, stackers and forklifts are all controlled by a remote command centre. Photo: Xinhua>

In the Port of Shenzhen, the core transformation at Mawan is the self-developed digital management system, which covers the operations for containers, break bulk cargo, customs procedure and more, according to She of CMG’s port unit.

“The system has helped improve the operational efficiency at Mawan port by 30 per cent, while reducing the number of on-site workers by 80 per cent and security risks by 50 per cent,” She said. Mawan’s smart port system was first put to use in 2022, after renovations started in 2017.

CMG’s port unit spent 300 million yuan (US$42 million) on the system’s development in 2024, She said. Investments are expected to continue growing each year.

Other smart technologies involved in the automation efforts at the Mawan terminal include

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devices and the

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, China’s answer to GPS.

China’s Ministry of Transport last year ***** out plans to develop a number of world-class smart ports and smart waterways by 2027. At present, the country has 18 automated container terminals, with 27 under construction or renovation, according to official data.

The digital management system of CMG’s port unit has also been deployed at its operations in the cities of Shantou, Shunde and Zhanjiang in southern Guangdong province, according to She. It has also been installed in the firm’s overseas ports in

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and

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.

The company has also offered the system to external clients, including port operators in

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and

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, She said, adding that a new project is underway in

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.

This article originally appeared in the

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, the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the

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or visit the SCMP’s

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and

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