China Targets Over 90 Automated Ports by 2030

China has announced an ambitious target to expand its network of automated ports from 60 to more than 90 by the end of the 15th Five-Year Plan period in 2030, signaling a major push to modernize its maritime infrastructure through cutting-edge automation and smart port technologies. The announcement was made at a State Council Information Office press conference on June 30 by Yang Huaxiong, Director of the Water Transport Bureau of the Ministry of Transport, as reported by CCTV News.

A Decade of Transformation

China’s port automation journey has been remarkable. From just a handful of experimental projects a decade ago, the country now operates 60 automated ports — including 30 automated container terminals that account for 27% of the global total. According to China.com.cn, Yang Huaxiong described this as “an important transformation from ‘following’ and ‘running alongside’ to ‘leading’” in global port automation.

The expansion plan also includes growing the number of 10,000-tonne-class and above berths from 217 to over 350. By 2030, China envisions core production processes achieving near-zero on-site human operation, with large-scale deployment of intelligent handling and horizontal transport equipment, building “10-million-TEU” and “100-million-ton” class digitalized smart port areas.

Efficiency Gains and World Records

Chinese automated ports are already demonstrating significant performance improvements. Shanghai Yangshan Phase IV, the world’s largest automated container terminal, has improved operational efficiency by over 10% compared to traditional terminals. Qingdao Port has seen its 100-meter shoreline throughput capacity increase by 30%, and its maximum handling efficiency has broken world records 13 times, as detailed by the China News Service.

At Ningbo Zhoushan Port, 5G and BeiDou multi-source sensing technology creates “port panoramic maps” that have reduced average ship port time by 4 to 6 hours. Qinhuangdao Port, after automation upgrades, improved coal transport operational efficiency by 15-20%.

Breaking Foreign Technology Monopolies

A central theme of China’s port automation story is technological self-reliance. The journey is personified by Zhang Liangang, Chief Scientist of Shandong Port Group, whose decades-long quest for independence began with a formative incident in 1986. As a young technician at Qingdao Port, Zhang watched a foreign engineer charge 43,200 yuan for just 12 days of repair work while hiding technical parameters in his pocket.

“From that moment on, I understood that without key core technologies, we would be controlled by others,” Zhang later recalled, according to a People’s Daily feature. “Key core technologies cannot be bought with money. We must take the path of independent innovation!”

That determination bore fruit. In 2013, Zhang was appointed to lead Qingdao Port’s automated terminal project shortly after lung surgery. His team completed the design in just 15 months — a task that typically took foreign counterparts three years — and built the terminal in 3.5 years versus the usual 8-10. When Phase I opened in May 2017, it set a world record for first-vessel operational efficiency. Phase II, completed in 2019, became the world’s first “hydrogen + 5G” automated terminal. By Phase III in December 2023, the terminal achieved full domestic production from software to hardware, chips to screws.

Today, China’s port intelligent handling equipment market share ranks first globally, and domestically produced equipment control systems have broken foreign technology monopolies, enabling efficient coordination of hundreds of pieces of equipment across port areas.

Broader Economic Implications

The automation push comes as China’s maritime sector already dominates global rankings. Gao Haiyun, Second-level Inspector of the Water Transport Bureau, noted at the 2025 North Bund International Shipping Forum that China’s port cargo throughput and container throughput have ranked first in the world for many consecutive years, as Xinhua News Agency reported.

Automation is expected to deliver further economic benefits. Reduced ship turnaround times lower logistics costs across global supply chains, while efficiency improvements of 10-30% translate into significant cost savings. China’s dominance in port automation equipment also gives it a competitive export advantage as other nations seek to modernize their own ports.

What to Watch For

As China pushes toward its 2030 target, several developments bear watching. The Ministry of Transport has indicated it will accelerate automation construction, strengthen technology research, and improve port-based smart services — including integrated logistics platforms combining customs, port, and trade functions. The extent to which this expansion creates export opportunities for Chinese automation technology, and how it impacts global port competitiveness, will be key storylines in the years ahead.

With 30 automated container terminals already representing over a quarter of the global total, China is solidifying its position as the world leader in port automation. The target of 90-plus ports by 2030, if achieved, would represent a 50% increase from current levels — a pace of expansion that would further cement China’s maritime dominance.