SHENZHEN port, adjacent to Hong Kong, posted 3.4 per cent year-on-year increase in container shipping to 6.84 million TEU in the first four months of the year, Xinhua reported.

But overall cargo tonnage in and out fell 7.8 per cent to 260,800 tonnes. Government statistics showed that the city's traffic maintained steady growth in the first four months of 2011 with cargo volume rising 20 per cent year on year to 85.1 million tonnes.

Cargo volume increased 24.9 per cent to 60.5 billion tonnes per kilometre, 1.4 per cent faster than in the first quarter, Xinhua reports.

The city's passenger traffic grew eight per cent to 531 million people. Turnover volume was 23 billion people per kilometre, up 17.4 per cent.

Shenzhen airport recorded a cargo and mail throughput of 260,800 tonnes, up 7.8 per cent. Air passenger volume rose four per cent to 9.28 million passengers.