Kochi, Dec 19 (IANS): The first weekly cargo vessel connecting Kochi to China berthed here Sunday, according to an announcement by the International Container Transhipment Terminal(ICTT).

The M.V Irenes Reliance has a length of 222 metres and a capacity of 2824 TEUs.

Through this service, Kochi will now get connected to major destinations like Singapore, Port Kelang, Hong Kong, Shanghai and other Chinese Ports.

With faster transit to/from China and the Far East, key south Indian markets such as Bangalore, Coimbatore, Tirupur, Pollachi, Erode and Salem, will have a faster, cost effective connectivity to their major suppliers and buyers.

Apart from connecting Kochi to China, this service will also connect Kochi to the US west coast, Australia and South America, offering multiple connectivity from Singapore and Shanghai, thus ensuring the fastest transit time from South India to these destinations.

ICTT was launched in February this year by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and was developed on a build-operate-transfer (BOT) basis by D.P World.

It was only last month that the first vessel connecting Kochi to Europe was launched.

Anil Singh, senior vice president nd managing director of D.P. World (South Asia) said, "We are thrilled to witness the support and confidence the trade is showing in our ability to perform, deliver and commence such significant services."

"This is a testament to our skill and expertise and is an encouragement to raise the bar higher," said Singh.

With this facility opening, exporters and importers here will no longer have to rely on transhipment facility, which was an expensive affair.