This made it the world's fourth largest container port, surpassing Taiwan's Kaohsiung, which handled 8.49 million TEU of containers last year, according to sources with the port.

In its quest to become an international shipping center, the port has set a container turnover goal of between 9.5 and 10 million TEU in 2003.

With shipping links to more than 400 ports in the world, Shanghai port serves as the gateway to the world for vast areas of China's hinterland.

(Xinhua News Agency January 11, 2003)