Global ports gather in Yantai to discuss freight future: automation, two‑way routes and deals with Kenya and Indonesia
Driverless automated vehicles, a China–Guinea route for bauxite and trucks, delegates from Kenya and Indonesia. Chinese ports are becoming hubs for technology and experience sharing. A cooperation agreement was signed between Yancheng Port and Indonesia's state port operator.
As reported by CCTV+, representatives of the port industry from around the world gathered in Yantai, Shandong Province, eastern China, to discuss the future of general cargo freight. Chinese ports are increasingly becoming centers for technology exchange, management expertise and business partnerships. Instead of spending all their time in conference halls, many delegates of the 2026 General Cargo Freight Logistics Development Conference went to the ports to see how Chinese ports are developing.
At one of Yantai's ports, automated vehicles moved exported construction materials without human intervention. These technologies attracted port industry representatives from around the world. They came not only to see how one of China's largest ports operates, but also to explore opportunities for experience and technology exchange within a growing international port network.
For Chinese businesswoman Wang Xiangzhen, the appeal lies not in technology but in the delivery route. Her company exports Chinese trucks to Guinea. Since 2024, she has used a specialised shipping service via Yantai. "This significantly speeds up transport. Ships carry bauxite from Guinea to China, and then carry Chinese construction materials, infrastructure materials and engineering equipment back to Guinea. The route is efficient in both directions," said Wang Xiangzhen, manager of Shandong Lutong Tiancheng Investment Group.
William K. Ruto, Managing Director of the Kenya Ports Authority, shared his impressions: "I was very impressed by the digitalization and smart ports, where we have many 'intelligent' accounting systems. That is what I also saw here, and what we are trying to implement in Kenya." Ruto's visit to Yantai followed another visit just days earlier, to Yancheng (Jiangsu Province), where he joined representatives from several Maritime Silk Road countries for a port exchange programme.
One outcome was a new agreement between Yancheng Port and Indonesia's state port operator. Yuan Xin, General Manager of Yancheng Port Group, explained: "We officially signed a friendly cooperation agreement in the port sector with the Indonesian Port Corporation. The partnership will deepen cooperation in shipping and logistics, trade exchange, port operations, as well as green and low‑carbon development."
The General Cargo Freight Logistics Development Conference in Yantai is an annual event bringing together port, shipping and logistics operators. Automated guided vehicles (AGVs) are now widely used in major Chinese ports. The China–Guinea route has become a model of efficient two‑way logistics: bauxite from Africa to China, Chinese trucks and building materials to Africa. Kenya and Indonesia are strategic partners of China under the Maritime Silk Road initiative.
When delegates from Kenya and Indonesia come to Chinese ports not for ceremonial meetings but to see autonomous machines moving without drivers, it signals a global shift. Chinese ports are no longer just gateways for cargo — they are becoming universities for the entire industry. The China–Guinea route shows that logistics is not only about speed but also about symbiosis: one country provides bauxite, the other provides equipment. And when port agreements are signed, more than paperwork is born — a new network emerges where trade, technology and trust are woven into a single knot. Yantai today is the point where this knot is being tied.
