The total port throughput on the Chinese mainland is expected to reach 7.5 billion tons in 2010, or about a fifty percent increase over that of 2005, a top Chinese transportation official said in Tianjin on Wednesday.

Over the next five years, China's total volume of exports and imports is estimated to increase by more than 10 percent annually, which is a powerful driving force to its port development, said Li Shenglin, Minister of Communications, at the first Chinese Port City Mayors' Summit held in this northern port city of Tianjin.

Over 90 percent of China's export and import goods are transported through its ports. Official statistics show main coastal ports on the Chinese mainland realized about 4.85 billion tons of throughput in 2005, ranking first in the world for the third consecutive year.

China will speed up investment and construction of ports, to improve their service functions, technological and mechanical innovation and enhance their throughput capability, Li said.

China has decided to strengthen the construction of five key port groups, including the port groups at the Yangtze River and the Pearl River deltas, according to Li.

(Xinhua News Agency April 20, 2006)