Global Times: China Port Watch: Tieshan Port, fueled by advanced technologies, prospers at a rapid pace
Beibu Gulf Port rapidly modernizes with drones, automation, and smart systems, boosting trade, capacity, and ASEAN connectivity.
Beijing, China, Dec. 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Amid a sharp buzz, a drone lifted off from the quay, beginning a two-hour patrol. Covering five square kilometers of the wharf, it captured real time footage without manual control. And, the drone could scan storage yards, track moving cargo and related safety conditions, and help check unauthorized vehicle entry.
As the first sea port in South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region to adopt high-tech drone patrols, Tieshan Port Public Wharf has moved rapidly toward adopting greater automation and intelligence. The drone offers just a glimpse of the broader transformation underway in the sprawling Beibu Gulf Port, of which Tieshan Port is only one part.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, on April 19, 2017, came to the Tieshan Port Public Wharf to inspect the operation of the wharf, the People's Daily Online reported then.
Noting that port construction and the port economy play a major role in the construction of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, President Xi stressed the necessity to excel in building, managing and operating ports at the Beibu Gulf to facilitate the development of Guangxi, the construction of the Belt and Road, and promote further opening-up and cooperation with the support of first-class facilities, technologies, management and services, said the report.
As a port complex comprising Qinzhou, Fangchenggang, and Beihai, Beibu Gulf Port serves as a key hub in the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, connecting China's western regions with the global markets. According to the port operator, Beibu Gulf Port now operates 91 berths, 84 of which are open to foreign trade. The total cargo handling capacity there hits more than 450 million tons, with container throughput reaching more than 11.04 million TEUs.
Starting from scratch
Driving along the wide avenue that runs from the wharf gate to the berths, lined with greenery on both sides and sprinklers in the middle constantly spraying water to suppress dust, Pan Junlin, deputy manager of the information department, who is also deputy head of the technology department at Beihai Terminal Co of Beibu Gulf Port (Beihai Terminal), said the road was paved in recent years. Eight years ago, he said, it was still a narrow dirt path - a change that shows just how quickly the wharf has developed.
As an eyewitness to the wharf's great infrastructural progress, Pan has taken part in many of its modernization projects. Beihai Terminal has actively followed the leadership's call to build, manage, and operate the wharf with first-class facilities, technologies, management, and services.
The company's cargo-handling capacity has doubled. The number of berths has increased from 11 in 2017 to 24 now, with the maximum berth capacity reaching 150,000 tons. Cargo-throughput has risen from 27.63 million to 69.19 million tons.
At the public wharf, its automation process has also accelerated. Beyond drone applications, many operational scenarios are automated. Pointing to the two rubber-tired gantry cranes and one quay crane in the distance, Pan told the Global Times that these facilities have all been equipped with remote-control automation.
The public wharf is also making use of artificial-intelligence (AI) powered application scenarios. For example, this year, the nation's first automated remote-control negative-pressure hopper was put into operation in the Tieshan Port Public Wharf operation area.
In terms of digitalization, the wharf's production systems have gradually shifted from paper-based documents to paperless management since 2017, significantly improving process standardization and quality. In 2020, a new smart gate was put into operation, becoming Guangxi's first gate to interface with the customs logistics platform.
As technological capabilities have improved, the wharf's service efficiency has also risen rapidly, supporting its continued drive toward high-level opening up. Cargo throughput at Tieshan Port Public Wharf increased from 21.98 million tons in 2017 to 44.75 million tons in 2024.
Greater connectivity
The continued improvement of the wharf and other infrastructure has provided strong support for Tieshangang district, where Tieshan Port Public Wharf is located, to deepen trade cooperation with ASEAN countries and more, build a hub of institutional opening toward the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and drive rapid economic growth, according to documents provided by the Tieshangang district government.
Tieshangang district currently has 19 foreign trade enterprises. Its imports and exports reached 24.495 billion yuan in 2024, and totaled 10.79 billion yuan from January to September.
Not far from the berths, a grain and oil processing plant covering 200,000 square meters is running smoothly and efficiently. Raw materials for the plant are shipped from distant regions in North and South America and, after processing, are turned into edible oil and feed meal, Zhang Yangyang, deputy general manager of Guangxi Bohi Agricultural Development Co, told the Global Times that the company exports feed meal every year.
Leveraging Guangxi's proximity to ASEAN, shipments to Vietnam can reach the wharf in just 12 hours, Zhang said, noting that the company also exports edible oil to Malaysia.
In 2010, the company was among the first enterprises to settle at Tieshan Port Public Wharf, which at the time was still an empty site. The wharf is only 1.5 kilometers from the factory, making transportation highly convenient for businesses.
Beihai's geographical advantages are becoming increasingly prominent, and the excellent port conditions there ensure a steady supply of raw materials, Zhang said, noting that demand from ASEAN countries has been growing up - this month alone, two shipments of feed meal totaling 6,000 tons were exported to Vietnam.
The agricultural company has decided to launch a second-phase project in 2026 to further expand its production capacity and exports.
The region's connectivity advantages have helped attract another large manufacturing enterprise. Lu Chenyang, head of the raw material supply department at Guangxi BG New Materials Co, told the Global Times that Beihai is strategically located on the southern coast of the Beibu Gulf. It lies east of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Great Bay Area. This makes Beihai an important gateway to "go out" and "bring in," as well as a key node linking to the Belt and Road Initiative, Lu said.
When Guangxi BG New Materials Co first set up its factory, it chose Beihai for its strategic location. Leveraging Beihai's port and logistics advantages, the company can conveniently procure mineral resources from the Philippines and other ASEAN countries.
As Beibu Gulf Port continues to expand, new growth levers are emerging, bringing greater certainty not only to regional business development but also to trade connectivity with other countries as it grows into a major transportation hub in Southwest China.
Source: Global Times:
Company: Global Times
Contact Person: Anna Li
Email: editor@globaltimes.com.cn
Website: https://globaltimes.cn
City: Beijing
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