The world's largest container ship, HMM GDANSK, docks at Songyu Container Terminal, Xiamen Port in East China's Fujian province on July 7. [Photo/fjsen.com]

HMM GDANSK, the world's largest container ship, with a maximum loading capacity of 24,000 TEU (20-foot equivalent unit), docked at East China's Xiamen Port on July 7, according to a local news report.

The ship measures nearly 400 meters long and has a carrying capacity of 224,900 metric tons. It can carry over 208 more containers than the previous largest container ship.

Launched by South Korea's Hyundai Merchant Marine, the ship started its maiden voyage from South Korea and will sail for Europe along the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road in the following days, carrying nearly 3,000 TEUs of clothing as well as mechanical, electrical, and digital products.

The container ship's port rotation also includes the main ports along the Belt and Road, such as Rotterdam in the Netherlands and Germany's Hamburg.

On the same day, Hyundai Merchant Marine announced that it will join the Silk Road Maritime project launched by Fujian province in 2018. The company has established a global service network covering more than 100 ports around the world, and has opened over 60 shipping lines, placing it among the world's top 10 shipping companies.

The company authorities said that Xiamen was among China's national logistics hubs, and they are very confident in the strategic position of Xiamen Port. The company will deepen cooperation with the port to promote the high-quality development of the Silk Road Maritime project.