Taipei  - Singapore, Shanghai and Hong Kong continue to dominate world container port rankings, while Taiwan's main port of Kaohsiung Harbour slid two places to No 8 last year, a Taiwanese government report said Wednesday.

In 2007, several Chinese ports showed the biggest increase in container volume, with Shanghai Port replacing Hong Kong Port as world's No 2 busiest container port, the the Transport Ministry reportsaid.

Rotterdam and Dubai surpassed Kaohsiung in 2007, to snatch the 6th and 7th place among the world's busiest container ports.

Although Kaohsiung handled 10.26 million TEUs (20-foot equivalent unit) in 2007, up 4.93 from 2006, the increase was too small compared to that of other ports.

The world's top eight container ports in 2007 were:

1) Singapore (27.94 million TEUs) 2) Shanghai (26.15 million TEUs) 3) Hong Kong (26.00 million TEUs) 4) Shenzhen (21.10 million TEUs) 5) Pusan (13.27 million TEUs) 6) Rotterdam (10.79 million TEUs) 7) Dubai (10.68 million TEUs) 8) Kaohsiung (10.26 million TEUs)

The report warned that Kaohsiung Harbour's world ranking would continue to slide in 2008 because in the first two months this year, China's Guangzhou, Ningbo ang Zhoushan ports' container volume all reached 1.65 million TEUs, higher than Kaohsiung's 1.62 million TEUs.

In the early 1990s, Kaohsiung Harbour ranked third in the world. But in recent years, its world ranking has fallen quickly owing to Taiwan's five-decade ban on shipping links with China and expansion of mega-container ports in neighboring countries, especially China- the world's largest production base and consumer market.

Taiwan's incoming President Ma Ying-jeou has promised to open direct sea and air links with China after he is inaugurated on May 20, to ease tension with China and to revitalize Taiwan's deteriorating economy. (dpa)