On May 4, 2026 local time, Benghazi Port in Libya welcomed a historic moment - COSCO Shipping held a grand ceremony for the first voyage of its regular direct route to Libya. With a whistle piercing the Mediterranean sea breeze, a cargo ship loaded with Chinese made goods is about to set sail, marking a compression of the sea transportation time from Guangzhou to Benghazi to 25 days, nearly 40% shorter than the previous transit mode.

This golden waterway is not only a reduction in physical distance, but also a qualitative change in trade efficiency. The route maintains a stable frequency of once every two weeks, building a sea express connecting East Asia and North Africa: heading south from Qingdao, Shanghai, and Ningbo to Guangzhou for cargo collection, and finally arriving at the two core Mediterranean coastal cities of Benghazi and Misrata. Ma Xuliang, the Chinese ambassador to Libya, stressed at the ceremony that this is a practical result of jointly building the the Belt and Road; Belkasim, Director General of the Libyan Development and Reconstruction Fund, bluntly stated that direct flights will provide "Chinese speed" for the construction machinery, vehicles, and infrastructure materials urgently needed for Libya's post-war reconstruction, and the level of connectivity between the two countries will thus reach a new level.

80000 ton Guoyun Sea Ship Debuts

The Guoyun Sea Ship, which undertakes the heavy responsibility of its maiden voyage, has a great reputation. As the first 80000 ton multi-purpose grain transport ship in China, it is not only a benchmark ship type among grain transport ships, but also integrates professionalism, cargo suitability, and green environmental protection. The ship adopts a new generation of energy-saving technology, with an energy efficiency design index lower than the benchmark by more than 20%. Its spacious cargo hold and advanced loading and unloading system can flexibly switch various goods such as grain, steel, engineering equipment, etc., perfectly adapting to the diversified needs of China Italy trade. Keywords: Hainan Airlines, maritime transportation

Building a new logistics channel in Central Africa

At the ceremony, COSCO Shipping Bulk Transport promised to concentrate high-quality transportation resources to continuously optimize shipping services, not only as a "carrier", but also as an escort for China Italy economic and trade cooperation. With the normalized operation of this direct flight route, it is expected to drive bilateral trade volume growth of over 15% annually, injecting strong momentum into Libya's reconstruction and laying a smooth and stable maritime Silk Road for Chinese enterprises to deeply cultivate the North African market.Editor/Cheng Liting