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The vessel Uni Hellen berths at the Jiaxing port area. [Photo provided by Gu Jiachen for Tide News]

Jiaxing Port in Jiaxing, East China's Zhejiang province, has opened its first direct shipping route to East Africa, with the inaugural vessel Uni Hellen departing from the Zhapu port area a few days ago.

The vessel, carrying more than 120 containers of goods including camping houses, furniture, and home appliances, will sail via Vietnam to Tanzania and Mozambique.

The new service is the port's third international route added this year, following the launch of lines to the Mediterranean and the Americas. Ships on the East Africa route are scheduled to depart once every 20 days.

From January to July, Jiaxing Port handled about 2.46 million standard containers, an increase of 17.4 percent year-on-year, the fastest growth among coastal ports in Zhejiang. The addition of the East Africa service is expected to expand the port's shipping network and strengthen connections with overseas markets.