BEIJING, June 30 -- China has made solid efforts this year in advancing transformation and upgrading of the country's ports and facilitating resource integration, a transport official said Friday.

In the first five months of 2023, Chinese ports maintained sound performance, with cargo throughput rising 7.9 percent year on year to 6.75 billion tonnes, Vice Transport Minister Fu Xuyin told a press conference.

During the same period, container throughput at Chinese ports went up 4.8 percent year on year to 122 million twenty-foot equivalent units, Fu said.

The country has deepened the integration of resources at ports. Some 17 provincial-level port groups have been established to facilitate the intensive utilization of resources, integrated operation, orderly competition and efficient services at ports.

According to Fu, efforts have been made to promote the coordinated development of regional port clusters and enhance the overall competitiveness of world-class port clusters.

China has improved the function of ports in facilitating rail-water combined transportation to effectively reduce logistics costs and improve operational efficiency.

The country has also actively guided the development of smart ports. At present, China has 16 automated container terminals and more than 10 automated terminals are under construction, said Li Tianbi, chief engineer of the Ministry of Transport, at the press conference.

In the next stage, the ministry will continue to guide and promote the coordinated development of regional port clusters, further deepen resource integration at provincial-level port groups, and improve services at ports to better promote coordinated development of regional economy and build a modern industrial system, Fu said.