Introduction and Background:

1. Introduction: Shanghai port is one of the most famous ports in the world; it is also the world’s busiest trading port. Shanghai port’s foreign trade accounted for the major coastal port throughput of about 20% in China, government use Shanghai port to implement open-door policy and participate in the international economy. As statistics shown, Shanghai cargo and container throughput are among the top in the world in 2010.
2. Location: Shanghai port is located in the central China coastline. “Situated at the junction of the West/East transport route by the Yangtze River and the South/North route along the seacoast” (shanghai port).
3. Size: “Shanghai covers an area of 3,619.6km² at the mouth of the Yangtze.”(Ship technology )The total quay length of about 20 kilometers and has 293 thousand square meters of warehouses.”(Port profile). Shanghai Port is the largest port in China.
4. History: On November 17th 1843, Shanghai port was forced to operate by the Qing Government. A lot of foreign businessmen start swarmed into Shanghai. “They took notorious actions like appointment of foreign harbor master, designation of foreign vessel anchorages and berths, demarcation of apron waters, building of warehouses and yards, drug smuggling, human trafficking.”(Shanghai). This rampant phenomenon always occurs, but incompetent Qing government had no power to solve and prevent the phenomenon.

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After the Qing government reforms its own institutions, Shanghai port consolidated the rights and began to focus on trade. In 1853, “Shanghai became the largest foreign trade port in China. After the 1870’s, Shanghai Port evolved into the shipping center in China where contemporary industrial clusters took shape at both sides of Huangpu River and Suzhou Creek.”(Shanghai).

At the beginning of the 20th Century, “Huangpu Fairway Bureau dredged and harnessed several sections of the Wusong Estuary and the Huangpu River so that 10,000-tonnage vessels might sail into the Huangpu River at high tide.”(Shanghai).Because a lot of investment development of the port, Shanghai port developed very rapidly. It facilitated the transport of goods; as a result China’s economy has improved dramatically.

Through more than half a century of endless efforts, Shanghai Port has become a one of the most modern and famous ports in a world. In the future, the Chinese government will continue the development of the port of Shanghai; it has become an important symbol of China.

Globalization:

Driven by open-door policy and economic globalization, the port became an important international connecting channel node. As an important port, Shanghai port is one of the most effected ports about international trade in the world. Therefore, China began to spend a lot of money and labor to develop the port of Shanghai. Under the influence of globalization, China is known as the world’s factory, most of the world’s low-cost products are made ​​in china. Moreover, Shanghai port not only maintains a good state, but it also has a perfect transportation system, as a result China developed close trading relationship with other countries. More and more international companies build factories or look for factories in China. This will stimulate the Chinese and the world economy.

People witnessed the phenomenal growth of globalized Shanghai Port. Over the past decade, Shanghai’s throughput has increased more than two times of the original. In year 2008 to 2012, despite the economic crisis, China’s port economy is still in a rising state. Compared with neighboring countries: South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Shanghai port has a clear price advantage. This is also a reason why numerous companies choose Shanghai. Shanghai port cargo throughput currently still has steady growth of 4.9 percent average annual growth rate.