The chairman of Tianjin Port Group Yu Ruming revealed that the port will invest CNY110 billion (US$16.8 billion) on upgrading facilities in the next five years and is aiming at a container throughput of 20 million TEU and an overall volume 600 million tonnes by 2015, Xinhua reports.

In the coming years, the port plans to deepen its navigation channel, upgrade handling facilities to raise throughput and further develop distribution and other services.

Tianjin recorded a box volume of 10.8 million TEU and a throughput tonnage of 400 million tonnes in 2010. It currently has 115 shipping lanes connecting some 500 ports in more than 180 countries.

Mr Yu said the port's throughput totalled 1.7 billion tonnes during the period from 2006 to 2010, double the figure in the earlier five-year period from 2000 to 2005.

According to Tianjin's earlier plan for the next five years, the port's throughput is expected to reach 18 million TEU or 560 million tonnes by 2015.