New auto transport route links Guangzhou and Wenchang

With the sound of a siren, a ship named Anji 7, fully loaded with commercial vehicles, slowly left the Nansha automobile terminal in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, and headed towards Wenchang in Hainan province on Tuesday evening.

The Anji 7's maiden voyage marks the official opening of the direct automobile transportation route between the two southern provinces.

The route allows commercial vehicles to enter and exit Hainan Island, the country's largest free trade zone. It is the only scheduled coastal trunk line for the roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) transportation of cars in Wenchang.

Anji 7 carried 620 commercial vehicles on its maiden voyage, according to a statement released by Nansha's maritime safety administration on Tuesday.

Two ro-ro vessels, each capable of carrying 650 vehicles, will be put into operation on the route.

The statement said the route will be able to reach an annual transporting capacity of approximately 100,000 vehicles.

It will greatly promote the deep integration and coordinated development of the automotive industry between Hainan and the mainland and effectively serve major local construction strategies, such as the country's maritime power strategy and the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port, according to the statement.