Contact Person : Lily Chan / Anthony Tam
Telephone : (852) 2619 7557
Fax : (852) 2612 0083
E-mail : gca@hph.com.hk

[28 April 2005 - Hong Kong] - Zhuhai International Container Terminals (Gaolan) (ZICT(G)) has received approval from the National Development and Reform Commission to embark on the Phase II project. A groundbreaking ceremony was held today to officially commence the construction of the Phase II project.

The ceremony was attended by over 300 guests representing the central, provincial and municipal governments as well as the port and shipping industries.

Mr. Zhu Wei Qiao, Director General of Pearl River Navigational Affairs Administration of Ministry of Communications, Mr. Fang Xuan, Secretary of CPC Zhuhai Municipal Committee, Mr. Wang Shunsheng, Mayor of Zhuhai Municipal Government and Mr. Canning Fok, Group Managing Director of Hutchison Whampoa Limited (HWL) were guests-of-honor at the ceremony.

The Phase II project involves the construction of two new 50,000-tonne container berths with a total quay length of 824 metres and depth alongside of 15 metres which are capable of handling large container vessels of up to 70,000 tonnes. With an additional area of 56 hectares, ZICT(G) Phase II will be equipped with eight Super Post-Panamax quay cranes and twenty-four Rubber-tyred Gantry Cranes.

Addressing at the ceremony, Mr. Canning Fok said, "Hutchison Port Holdings has been very proactive in investing and developing Zhuhai Port since the early 1990s. We are now looking at accelerating Gaolan Port's development with the introduction of more international line-haul services to ZICT(G). We will be leveraging on the Group's strong port network in Hong Kong and China to extend our service offerings to customers in this region."

Supported by a comprehensive network of highways and railway infrastructures and capitalizing on the huge economic growth in southern China, ZICT(G) is well-positioned to serve shipping lines and become the shipping hub of the western Pearl River Delta.

The groundbreaking ceremony was held today at ZICT(G) to officially commence the construction of the Phase II Project. Guests-of-honor (from left to right) are: Mr. Wang Shunsheng, Mayor of Zhuhai Municipal Government, Mr. Fang Xuan, Secretary of CPC Zhuhai Municipal Committee, Mr. Canning Fok, Group Managing Director of HWL, Mr. Zhu Weiqiao, Director General, Pearl River Navigational Affairs Administration, Ministry of Communications, Mr. Cai Qiwen, Deputy Director, Department of Communications of Guangdong Province, and Mr. Xian Wen, Executive Vice Mayor of Zhuhai Municipal Government.

Notes to Editors:

Zhuhai International Container Terminals (Gaolan) (ZICT(G)) coastal port is a joint venture between Hutchison Delta Ports (HDP) and Zhuhai Port Enterprises Group Company. Situated on the Nanshui River, southwest of Zhuhai City, it has been in operation since 1994 and is part of the HDP network which comprises of three coastal and three river ports in southern China.

ZICT(G) is a member of the Hutchison Port Holdings (HPH) Group, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the multinational conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa Limited (HWL). HPH is the world's leading port investor, developer and operator with interests in 19 countries throughout Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe and the Americas. Today, HPH operates in a total of 39 ports together with a number of transportation related service companies.