China expands Silk Road maritime

China’s Silk Road Maritime network now spans 148 routes from more than 10 Chinese ports to 150 ports across 48 countries and regions. (people.cn) The platform was launched in Fujian in 2018 as a shipping-focused logistics network under the Belt and Road Initiative. It started with 16 routes and has since expanded across Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Latin America. (qstheory.cn) (news.cgtn.com) Chinese state media said a newly launched container route from Fujian to Latin America has shortened sailing time by more than seven days. The same reports said the added links are lowering logistics costs on those corridors. (people.cn) (datamarnews.com) By February 2026, cross-border e-commerce cargo on dedicated express services had generated more than 15 billion yuan in export value. Bulk and breakbulk routes had handled cargo worth more than 32 billion yuan, according to the same reporting. (people.cn) The network’s scale has also shown up in container volumes. Since launch, Silk Road Maritime routes have shipped more than 26 million twenty-foot equivalent units, and 2025 throughput alone topped 5.4 million TEUs, up 9.11% from a year earlier. (news.cgtn.com) The 148-route total was reached after organizers added 15 new named routes at the 7th Silk Road Maritime International Cooperation Forum in Xiamen in September 2025. Fujian Provincial Port Group said the additions also expanded the network’s port coverage to 150 ports in 48 countries. (en.sasac.gov.cn) (worldports.org) The project is part of China’s wider push to tie ports, shipping lines and trade services into one system, with digital tools layered on top of vessel routes. State outlets describe it as a way to connect domestic and international markets and link sea lanes with inland corridors. (qstheory.cn) (people.cn) For shippers, the immediate change is simple: more named lanes, wider port coverage and at least one Latin America service that now moves cargo more than a week faster. (datamarnews.com) (people.cn)