Qingdao Port Firmly Holds Among Global Top 50 2010-03-10  (News from Xinhua News Agency on March, 9th ) The 'global competitive index on international shipping centers', which is also the first one compiled domestically, has been released in Shanghai on March 8th. The fact that there are 10 national ports which have finally positioned themselves under the first 50 ranks fully reflects China's comprehensive advantage in competitiveness in the international shipping cause. National ports that rank among the first 50 include those of Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tianjin, Dalian, Gaoxiong, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Ningbo, Qingdao, and Xiamen, and so on. In the meanwhile, the guideline of China's international shipping center with Shanghai Port and the surrounding Changjiang River Ports as core and assisted by the ports of Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Tianjin, Dalian, and Qingdao has embodied the great potential and space for development, trying its best to make up the weak point in high-end service in international shipping in order to drive for the commanding height in international shipping. This index compiled by the research center of the Shanghai Pudong International Financial Shipping Center examines and evaluates 660 port cities worldwide, regarding the generation IV international shipping center 'low-carbon intelligent network' as main criteria. 58 targets were selected from three sub items such as shipping level, shipping service, shipping ecosystem and mode as standard. It finally ranked the first 50 ones, of which the centers of London, Tokyo, Hong Kong, NewYork, Shanghai, Singapore, Hamburg, LA,  Rotterdam, and Pusan led top 10. From 2007 to 2009, the container handling capacity of the top 50 amounted to 70% of the global capacity, a port handling capacity of 69%, air cargo throughput of 31%, and shipping capacity of 94%. They have thus become the most important departures and destinations in global resources allocation. The shares of shipping service like shipping agent and logistics, shipping financing and trade, shipping insurance, and arbitration also took more than 85% of the global market. The index report implies that, today's international shipping center is shifting into the fourth mode i.e. 'low-carbon intelligent network' after the development of the first three generations 'shipping transfer' 'value added by manufacture' and 'distribution of resources' while low-carbon, global sea & air ports intelligent network, virtual ports, capacity of rational distribution of global resources, international shipping and global shipping service have all become the essential index of the fourth generation ports. However, after the global financial crisis, the structure of international sea & air has greatly changed featured as the world's shipping center moved to the east.