Zhao Yufeng, Nantong Municipal Deputy Secretary General, told a press briefing that the municipal government had formed a management team for the development of Tongzhou Wan. The provincial authorities of Jiangsu will also assign higher-level officials for coordination of the port project.

To develop the Tongzhou Wan port area is three deepwater shipping channels will be dredged, along with three river-sea transportation channels, three road highways and two rail links. The first phase port terminal project will include ten 50,000 tonnes-class berths, four 100,000 tonnes-class berths and two 200,000 tonnes-class berths.

The first 50,000 tonnes-class berths will start construction in 2020 and commence operations in 2022.

The aim is to develop Tongzhou Wan into a container shipping hub by 2025 and have a handling capacity of 15m teu by 2035.