Guangzhou has unveiled an ambitious plan to develop the ancient port city into an international shipping hub within three years, said local authorities. 

Major efforts will be given to the expanding the port's handling capacity, which includes development of more shipping lanes, and terminals for containers, oil and bulk cargo, according to the Guangzhou Port Authority. 

Construction on the third phase of Nansha Port, which can currently handle 10 million containers a year, will be completed soon and put into operation in September, said the authority. 

Nansha is a major component of Guangzhou Port, which includes four seaports and some river ports along the Pearl River. 

Guangzhou Port now has 868 berths that handled 500 million tons of cargo last year, making it the world's fifth-largest port, according to the authority. 

In an address to an annual investment conference in Guangzhou on Mar 26, Mayor Chen Jianhua said renowned companies from home and abroad have shown increased interest in investing in Nansha following the city's plan to develop into an international shipping hub. 

One is China State Shipbuilding Corp, which plans to open a ship chartering business in Nansha, according to the local Nanfang Daily. 

Construction on a cruise liner home port in Nansha will be completed in 2018. Royal Caribbean, the world's second-largest cruise ship operator, will soon open a passenger route to Guangzhou, according to the newspaper. 

During the city's annual People's Congress session in February, Chen said enhanced shipping and logistics services facilitate development of the newly approved free trade zone in Nansha. 

"We will also push development of infrastructure including an airport, expressways, subways and railways to build closer links between the zone, the downtown area and neighboring cities," Chen said. 

The city will invest about 1 billion yuan ($160.1 million) to build a commercial airport in Nansha, said the mayor. 

The Nansha Free Trade Zone is part of the Guangdong Free Trade Zone, which also includes Hengqin in Zhuhai and Qianhai and Shekou in Shenzhen. 

"We are determined to build the Nansha Free Trade Zone into a fast and efficient shipping and logistics center, which will help expand the local economy," Chen said. 

According to the local port authority, Guangzhou Port has developed links with more than 400 ports in over 100 countries and regions. 

In addition to developing the shipping hub, authorities have also mapped out a plan to build the city into an international aviation hub. 

During a recent visit to the Guangzhou Airport Economic Zone in early March, Guangzhou Party chief Ren Xuefeng said rapid growth in passenger numbers and cargo through Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport lays a solid foundation for developing an international aviation hub. 

According to the port authority, the Guangzhou airport, one of the top three civil aviation centers in China, now has more than 110 routes to over 100 domestic and overseas cities. 

It accommodated about 55 million passengers in 2014, with cargo throughput reaching 1.4 million tons, according to the authority. 

Guangzhou Baiyun International currently serves 33 airline companies, according to the authority. 

qiuquanlin@chinadaily.com.cn 

Nansha Port, which already handles 10 million containers a year, is crucial to the city's plan to become an international shipping hub. provided to China Daily