An aerial view of the Port of Taicang in Jiangsu province [Photo/IC]

In the first half of 2019, the foreign trade volume of Taicang reached 45.21 billion yuan ($6.55 billion), including 23.97 billion yuan worth of imports, local media reported on Aug 1.

The expansion of the Belt and Road shipping lines was a major contributor. Taicang's trade with ASEAN countries was valued at 10.13 billion yuan, up 17 percent year-on-year and accounting for 22.4 of the city's total imports and exports.

The first half of the year recorded the berthing of 1,526 international vessels, 328 of which were from Belt and Road countries, up 6 percent year-on-year.

Currently, more than 80 shipping routes along the Yangtze River are connected to the Port of Taicang, with 50 ports in the economic belt, making it a transit hub for domestic trade.

There are 25 near-sea shipping lines operating out of the Port of Taicang that connect to 23 ports in the countries and regions along the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.

In addition, cooperation with Japan and South Korea helped Taicang maintain a stable performance in the Asian market, with a trade volume of 23.76 billion, up 4.8 percent.