Beijing – September 16, 2026 -- China's Silk Road Maritime shipping network added 12 new routes at the 8th Silk Road Maritime International Cooperation Forum held in Xiamen from September 8-9, bringing the total to 160 named routes spanning 50 countries and 153 ports worldwide.
Gdansk becomes first European port with an officially named route
Poland's Gdansk Port, Europe's largest deep-water container terminal on the Baltic Sea, received its first officially designated Silk Road Maritime route at the forum. Zhang Bijun, chief representative of the Port of Gdansk Authority's Shanghai office, said Poland already handles roughly 80 percent of cargo entering the EU via the China-Europe Railway Express, and the new maritime route creates a two-way logistics channel that could speed Polish agricultural products and cosmetics into the Chinese market.
Antwerp-Bruges cites decarbonization pace as a model for cooperation
Jan Van der Borght, port representative of the Antwerp-Bruges Port Authority, said China's shipping sector has moved quickly on decarbonization and digitalization technologies, calling the Silk Road Maritime platform a workable cooperation mechanism. Antwerp-Bruges, the world's largest roll-on/roll-off port, handled 3.34 million new cars in 2025. Van der Borght said cooperation should extend beyond port-to-port links into two-way investment as China's exports of high value-added, high-tech goods accelerate.
Network has logged 25,000 vessel calls and 30 million TEUs over eight years
Since launch, Silk Road Maritime's container routes have accumulated more than 25,000 vessel calls and cargo throughput exceeding 30 million 20-foot equivalent units, according to forum organizers. The network now covers container transport, bulk cargo, iron ore and cross-border e-commerce, forming one of three logistics pillars of the Belt and Road Initiative alongside the China-Europe Railway Express and the New Western Land-Sea Corridor.
Xiamen Port operates 181 shipping routes with new links to Indonesia and South Africa
Lin Sijia, deputy manager at Xiamen Container Terminal Group, said Xiamen Port now runs 181 shipping routes, including 148 foreign trade lines, with new direct sailings to eastern South America and the US East Coast. A direct Xiamen-Indonesia route launched in May carried the Liberian-flagged vessel Yong Wan with cargo worth 200,000 yuan ($29,820), offering a seven-day voyage to Jakarta and nine days to Surabaya -- the fastest Xiamen-Indonesia service currently running. In June, a pilot route under the China-South Africa Secure and Smart Trade Line initiative shipped 200,000 yuan worth of outdoor goods aboard the AN YANG 118 to Cape Town.
Iron ore routes from Brazil and Australia bring in 40 million tons annually
Xiamen's cross-border e-commerce express lane connects 10 major ports across five Southeast Asian countries with two-day delivery for goods made in Fujian province. Dedicated bulk routes from Brazil and Australia deliver more than 40 million tons of iron ore annually, according to Lin. The port plans to expand multimodal sea-rail logistics and deepen services in cold chain, hazardous chemicals and new energy cargo shipping.