As construction of the Hainan Free Trade Zone continues, Yangpu Port is becoming a key international shipping hub for China's western land and sea corridor. The trade passage connects western China with Southeast Asian countries. Dai Kaiyi has more.

At the Yangpu International Container Terminal, cranes and trucks transporting cargo are bustling with activity. Gone are the days of operators working on site – everything is now monitored and controlled remotely.

ZHOU XUANTING Remote crane operator Yangpu International Container Terminal "I operate a remote-control gantry crane, and when the hoist is 50 centimetres away from the container, I grab or release the container manually and then move it into or out of the container yard using the crane."

Zhou Xuanting handles over 500 containers per day, operating the crane controls more than 1,000 times a day.

The Yangpu International Container Terminal, where Zhou works, is the first automated container terminal in Hainan Province with remotely-controlled operations.

It allows each of the port's operators to handle multiple machines at the same time.

XU LINXIANG Remote control room director Yangpu International Container Terminal "Now we can handle 5,000 to 6,000 containers per day, and at our highest, we've handled 8,000 containers in a single day. When I first arrived at the terminal, we didn't even have international trade routes, but now we cover the Southeast Asia region and have expanded to long-haul routes."

With the construction of the Western Land-Sea Trade Corridor and the Hainan Free Trade Port, the Yangpu International Container Terminal is continuously expanding its route network.

There are currently 35 international ships registered at the port.

ZHOU CHANGMAO Head of Port and Shipping Logistics Development Dept Yangpu Transportation and Port Authority "According to the overall plan for the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port, we aim to make Hainan a key gateway to the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Through the opening of long-haul routes, we have achieved access to the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic Oceans, effectively enhancing the openness of the Hainan Free Trade Port."

DAI KAIYI Boao, Hainan Province "Yangpu International Container Terminal is a microcosm of the Hainan Free Trade Port's development. Taking advantage of opportunities created by the Western Land and Sea Corridor, it's part of the bigger picture for economic growth in southern China. The Container Terminal continues to expand the number of international shipping routes it services. DKY, CGTN, in Boao, Hainan Province."