The interest in the country's east coast comes in the wake of China's continued economic growth.

Jean-Marc Lacave, executive director of France's Port of Le Havre Authority, led a delegation on a Shanghai tour yesterday to showcase its port expansion plan to about 200 Chinese shipping companies, cargo owners and port officials.

Lacave's trip coincided with a visit by a delegation from the Port of Shibushi in Japan's Kagoshima, led by Fatsuro Suga, governor of the Kagoshima Prefecture, which also wants to expand its trade with Chinese coastal cities.

Lacave said yesterday: "We came here to see whether we can offer more services to our potential Chinese clients through knowing the local market."

Le Havre, the fourth largest port in Europe, is witnessing a continuing growth of cargo from China. Last year, it handled about 1.5 million tons of cargo and more than 160,000 containers from China.

"The bilateral trade is going up quickly but I can't predict how fast it will be," Lacave said.

"That's why we are eager to launch a port expansion project."

The project in Le Havre, which is designed to build 12 berths with an annual capacity of up to 5 million tons of cargo, is expected to cost more than US$900 million. Six berths will be completed by 2006 as part of the first phase.

"In the next four years, cargo will increase because more ships from China are expected to call at the Port of Le Havre," Lacave said. Le Havre has ordered machinery from the Shanghai Zhenhua Port Machinery Plant as part of its development, as well as for revamping its old port district.

Lacave's confidence in an expanding relationship between Le Havre and Shanghai is shared by Suga.

Suga said Shibushi is also building new facilities at Shin-Wakahama at a maximum cost of 20 billion yen (US$157 million).

(China Daily October 25, 2002)