The giant Shandong Port Group or SPG – one of the biggest port operators in the world, headquartered in Qingdao in East China's Shandong province – is stepping up a gear.

It recently made another achievement, with total cargo throughput hitting 1.42 billion tons as of Dec 5, topping last year's total 26 days ahead of schedule, according to local media reports on Dec 11.

In terms of bolstering its port-industry-city integrated development, the State-owned port group has committed itself totally to becoming an internationally advanced ports operator exploring and expanding comprehensive integration.

Huo Gaoyuan, chairman of the SPG board [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] 

Huo Gaoyuan, chairman of the SPG board, told an interview that after two years of endeavor, its  ports integration had now fully completed.

Currently, SPG has four major subsidiary ports – Qingdao Port, Rizhao Port, Yantai Port and Bohai Bay Port – and the group operates in 12 business segments. They are in shipping, trade, logistics, sci-tech, equipment manufacturing, overseas development, financial services, ports construction, city-industry integration, cruises and tourism, vocational education, as well as medical and health.

In addition, the ports group also operates 24 inland ports, including the Taishan (Xintai) Inland Port.

"We have increased our total number of shipping routes from 177 to 209 within just two years, which should have taken us five years to finish," the chairman added.

Maintaining a focus on the main business of the ports, SPG has also extended its value-added services such as trade, logistics, shipping and finance to boost its overall development.

"What we are involved in the ports businesses are supply chains, industrial productionchains, information chains and financial chains," Huo said.

Rizhao Port of Shandong Port Group [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]