Ships berth at Zhoushan Port. [Photo/WeChat account: china-zjftz]

Zhoushan in East China's Zhejiang province has been boosting the development of its shipping industry as part of an effort to construct an international marine service base.

The city is currently home to more than 600 shipping enterprises, the most of any coastal city in China.

According to the Zhoushan municipal bureau of shipping and ports, the city has optimized its business environment, encouraged the upgrading of traditional shipping service companies, and attracted emerging shipping service suppliers in recent years.

The city has also encouraged shipping companies to deliver oil, ore, grain, and hazardous chemicals and upgrade their ships.

The shipping capacity of cargo vessels in the city has exceeded 8.3 million metric tons, with each having an average payload of 5,900 tons, and the shipping capacity of oil and chemical carriers as surpassed 2.1 million tons, ranking first in the country.

By 2025, the shipping capacity of cargo vessels in the city is expected to amount to 10 million tons.

In 2021, the revenue of the shipping industry in Zhoushan totaled 15 billion yuan ($2.24 billion) and employed more than 20,000 workers.

A competitive marine service industrial chain featuring bunker oil supply, ship maintenance, foreign ship supply, and ship trading and operation has taken shape in Zhoushan.