In Depth: How a South China Port Is Redrawing the Regional Logistics Map

Even in the dead of night, the activity doesn’t stop at the Beibu Gulf Port in Southwest China’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

At one container terminal, automated cranes whir around the clock, orchestrating a seamless dance of steel and machinery as lines of container trucks wait to get in and out of the facility.

The nocturnal bustle is a symbol of the port’s ascent. Made up of three major port areas of Fangcheng, Qinzhou and Beihai, Beibu Gulf Port has become an integral part of a national strategy designed to bypass traditional time-consuming waterways linking China’s interior and ship directly to global markets, particularly Southeast Asia.