When the intelligent gates of Tianjin Port achieve instant release, and when the unmanned terminals of Guangzhou Port continuously handle containers from around the world day and night, a modernization upgrade covering all water transport ports in the country has begun.

In July 2026, with the approval of the State Council, the General Administration of Customs and the National Development and Reform Commission jointly issued the "15th Five Year Plan for Port Modernization", marking a new stage of systematic improvement in China's port construction.

Two types of projects cover 24 ports

The plan specifies two types of water transportation port construction projects, with a total of 24 ports included in the national construction plan. In terms of the construction and renovation of port infrastructure and inspection facilities, 13 ports including Tianjin Port, Tangshan Port, Huanghua Port, Dalian Port, Dandong Port, Shanghai Port, Ningbo Port, Weifang Port, Rizhao Port, Yantai Port, Zhangzhou Port, Nansha Port, and Yangpu Port have been included. In terms of smart port construction, 15 ports including Tianjin Port, Tangshan Port, Yingkou Port, Dalian Port, Taicang Port, Lianyungang Port, Zhoushan Port, Ningbo Port, Wuhu Port, Pingtan Port, Jiujiang Port, Weihai Port, Qingdao Port, Chenglingji Port, and Guangzhou Port have been included.

At the same time, 43 key ports have been included in the scope of smart port construction, promoting the deep application of "artificial intelligence+" in port operation management, customs clearance supervision and other scenarios. The plan proposes to increase the application of artificial intelligence in various business scenarios at ports, promote the construction of cross-border trade big data platforms, and provide computing power support for smart ports. Keywords: port construction, port modernization construction

Two stage goals for 2030 and 2035

The plan sets clear phased goals. By 2030, significant progress will be made in modernizing ports, optimizing spatial layout, comprehensively promoting the construction of smart ports, and initially forming a green development model for ports. By 2035, Chinese path to modernization ports will be basically completed, and five types of ports will be fully formed.Editor/Cheng Liting