The Sun, March 5th, 2003 - KLANG : MV Xin Pu Dong, the biggest container vessel built by the shipyards of China, sailed into Westport last Saturday.

The port was the China Shipping Container Lines (CSCL) vessel's first stop on her maiden voyage.

This was not the first time a big ship docked at the port.

In December 1999, MV Clifford Maersk, the biggest ship in the world with 7,400 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) capacity, spurred Westport to set a vessel productivity world record of 264 moves per hour.

The US aircraft carrier USS Constellation also visited the port in April 2000.

To celebrate MV Xin Pu Dong's visit, a cocktail reception ceremony was held on board the vessel.

Senior officials from Westport and China Shipping Container Lines were there.

"This commission marks a strategic development in CSCL's container ship services to Europe as it is to be part of a revamped fleet of nine vessels," China Shipping Malaysia Agency managing director Tang Wan Jun said.

He said each vessel has capacities of between 5,600 and 5,800 TEUs and service speeds of over 25 knots.

Westport executive chairman Tan Sri G. Gnanalingam said CSCL joined the port's select group of main line operators with a terminal service agreement in March 2000.

Since then, China Shipping Container Lines has grown rapidly from 41,500 TEUs in 2000 to 250,000 TEUs last year in transshipment and local cargos.

"It was a win-win partnership from day one as CSCL had strategic expansion plans in the pipeline and Westport is well-poised with adequate capacity to welcome the rapid growth," Gnanalingam said.

The 280m long MV Xin Pu Dong was delivered at the beginning of the year to CSCL.

Registered in Shanghai, she can carry a load of 5,668 TEUs with a service speed of 25.7 knots.