Authorities in Xiamen plan to spend at least CNY2.5 billion (US$321.38 million) on six port development projects in 2007, Xinhua reports.

The six projects include building berths 11 to 13 in the Haicang port area; a project to reclaim land to facilitate the building of berths 20 to 22 in the Haicang port area, plus dredging work to develop berths 14 to 19 also in the Haicang port area. Construction will also begin on the second phase of developing the quay length in the Songyu port area.

Xiamen will also continue construction work on eight other port projects this year.

The goal of all this activity is to turn Xiamen port in southern Fujian province into one of China's shipping hubs.

As such, the port aims to develop over the next few years 100,000-tonne container and bulk cargo berths in the Songyu and Haicang port areas, boost the construction of the Xiamenwan 100,000-tonne shipping channel, and complete channel expansion works in the Dongdu and Haicang port areas, the report added.