The China-Africa "Belt and Road" Trade Route Welcomes a Successful Start with Its First Voyage in 2025

On January 2, 2025, the Liberia-flagged vessel CENTURY ZHENGZHOU ("Century Zhengzhou"), carrying 60,000 mt of iron ore from Saldanha Bay Port in South Africa, safely berthed at Tieshan Port under the escort of a maritime patrol vessel from the Beihai Maritime Safety Administration. The unloading was successfully completed on January 3, marking the first successful voyage of the China-Africa "Belt and Road" trade route in 2025.

Under the guidance of the "Belt and Road" Initiative, China-Africa economic and trade cooperation has become increasingly close, facilitating the exchange of high-quality African mineral products and Chinese steel, fostering positive interactions. To ensure the efficient and convenient entry and exit of vessels at Guangxi ports, the Guangxi Maritime Safety Administration has achieved real-time information sharing with port and pilotage departments, providing navigation services for vessels, responding quickly to emergencies, significantly reducing port entry and exit approval times, and conducting safety inspections during vessel loading and unloading to ensure safe operations.

According to statistics from the maritime authorities, in 2024, 25 African ports, including Durban, Cape Town, Saldanha Bay, Djibouti, Walvis Bay, and Port Said, maintained strong maritime trade relations with three Guangxi ports—Beihai, Fangchenggang, and Qinzhou. A total of 6.7372 million mt of goods, including iron ore, coal, crude oil, and steel, were transported. The Guangxi Maritime Safety Administration remains committed to serving the "Belt and Road" mission, continuously optimizing regulatory measures, improving service quality, strengthening the safety framework for international shipping, and steadily advancing toward the goal of building a maritime community with a shared future, writing a new chapter in the Maritime Silk Road.