HANGZHOU, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- A Hong Kong-registered bulk carrier departed from Jiaxing Port in east China's Zhejiang Province on Friday, bound for Zanzibar Port in Tanzania and Beira Port in Mozambique.

This maiden voyage marked the opening of Jiaxing's first direct shipping route to Africa, making it the second port in Zhejiang to establish such a link after Ningbo-Zhoushan Port.

The vessel that departed Jiaxing on Friday is carrying approximately 200 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of equipment, totaling nearly 1,000 cubic meters. The cargo consists mainly of infrastructure materials to support local livelihoods and construction projects in Africa. The shipment is expected to arrive at Zanzibar Port in about 25 days.

Trade between China and Africa has grown steadily in recent years, with Zhejiang playing an active role as a key foreign trade province. The new shipping route is expected to further enhance economic and trade exchanges between Zhejiang and Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) participating countries.

According to local maritime authorities, this service is scheduled to operate monthly, with frequency expected to increase in the future. This will significantly reduce logistics costs and promote deeper cooperation between the Yangtze River Delta and Africa in infrastructure development, industrial collaboration and people's livelihoods. ■