New Origami, operated by MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company SA, is added to the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road at the Port of Xiamen on Aug 3. [Photo/xmnn.cn]

A new shipping route, New Origami, was added to the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road at the Port of Xiamen in East China's Fujian province on Aug 3, according to a local media report.

Operated by MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company SA, the new route will run through Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia. Xiamen port is the only Chinese port on the route.

Officials of the Xiamen Port Holding Group said that the government should make greater efforts to stabilize the industrial and supply chains in light of the impact to the global economy caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

They added that Xiamen Port has deepened cooperation with the world's largest shipping companies and beefed up efforts to optimize and adjust some shipping routes so as to set up a new development pattern for the city's shipping industry.

Additionally, the Port of Xiamen has upgraded another Maritime Silk Road route: Seagull, which will reduce the delivery time of exported goods from Xiamen Port to some international ports, including the Tanjung Pelepas port in Malaysia and Singapore Port.

The upgrading of the two shipping routes will help improve the international competitiveness of Xiamen Port, and attract more shipping companies to use the port as their marine outfall and transfer station.

Statistics show that the container throughput of Xiamen Port exceeded 1 million TEUs (20-foot equivalent units) in June and July, an indication of economic recovery in the second half of this year.