Commenting on the visit, Clemence Cheng, Managing Director of Hutchison Port Holdings Central Europe Division, said: “It is a great honour for us that Mr Li has chosen to visit the Port of Felixstowe. China is the major player in the world’s container trades and the largest source of traffic to and from North Europe. As well as being the largest container port in the UK, Felixstowe is also the largest port for containerised trade with China, and we are pleased that this has been marked with this important visit.”
Commenting during the visit, Mr Li, said: “The recent opening of the new Berths 8&9 at Felixstowe – the only ones in the UK capable of handling the largest ships on order – will play a vital role in helping to facilitate future trade between our countries. It places Felixstowe firmly within a very small group of ports that will act as major hubs on this most important route Cosco as China’s largest Shipping company, has had a long history of cooperation with Hutchison Ports and was the first Chinese shipping line to call at the Port of Felixstowe. I am glad that Chinese shipping lines, Cosco and China Shipping, are both calling at this port and I wish both Chinese shipping lines and Hutchison will play an increasingly role in Sino-UK trade.”
During his visit Mr Li also went aboard the 10,000TEU Cosco vessel, Cosco Taicang, which was berthed at the port’s Trinity Terminal. The Port of Felixstowe has daily connections with China and in September opened its new Berths 8&9 which have significantly boosted capacity at the port. The new facilities consolidates the port’s position as the UK’s major gateway for containerised trade and increase the port’s ability to berth the ever-increasing number of ultra-large container ships that ply the world’s major trades.