By the end of 1997,merchant ships had increased to 320,000 with a total deadweight tonnage of close to 50 million,of which more than 23 million were of the fleets in foreign trade transportation.

• 到1997年底，中国民用船舶已发展到32万艘，近5000万载重吨，其中从事外贸运输的船队达2300多万载重吨。