East China's Fujian Province reopened a cross-Pacific shipping route from its Xiamen Port to Latin America, according to local bureau of port affairs.

The route connects major ports of Xiamen, Shanghai and Qingdao in east China, Busan in the Republic of Korea, Manzanillo in Mexico, Buenaventura in Colombia, Guayaquil in Ecuador, Callao in Peru, Iquique, Valparaiso and Lirquen in Chile, Yokohama in Japan, and Keelung, Chiwan, and Hong Kong in China.

A shipping company from Chile first opened the route in 2003, but it stopped running several months later due to limited shipping volume.

According to the present two operators of the route, Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd. and Mitsui O. S. K. Lines Ltd, freight transportation from Fujian to central and South America has been increasing steadily since February this year. Nine regular cargo ships are put into business right now, said the two Japanese companies.

(Xinhua News Agency April 13, 2006)