In 1842, Shanghai became a
treaty port, thus developing into an international commercial city. By the early 20th century, it was the largest city and the largest port in East Asia. In 1949, with the
Communist takeover in Shanghai, overseas trade was cut dramatically. The early economic policies of the People's Republic severely hindered Shanghai's infrastructure and capital development. In 1991, the central government authorized Shanghai to begin economic reforms. Since then, the port has expanded rapidly. By 2005, the
Yangshan deep-water port had been built on the Yangshan islands, a group of islands in
Hangzhou Bay linked to Shanghai by the
Donghai Bridge. This development allowed the port to overcome shallow water conditions in its current location and to rival another deep-water port, the nearby
Port of Ningbo-Zhoushan. The port is part of the
21st Century Maritime Silk Road that runs from the Chinese coast to
Singapore, towards the southern tip of
India to
Mombasa, from there through the Red Sea via the
Suez Canal to the Mediterranean, there to the Upper Adriatic region to the northern Italian hub of
Trieste with its connections to
Central Europe and the
North Sea. == Harbour zones ==