Maersk Line, the world's biggest container shipping company by capacity and goods volume, will provide transport services for its Chinese partners and become a co-investor in their projects along the Belt and Road Initiative over the next decade.

Many projects have already materialized. APM Terminals, the Danish group's terminal arm, partnered with China COSCO Shipping Ports Ltd and Qingdao Port International Development Co in October to invest in the Vado Reefer Terminal, and the new deep-water container terminal under construction in Vado, Italy. It will become operational in 2018.

APM Terminals is also working with State-owned China Communications Construction Co, one of the largest infrastructure service providers by revenue, to build a new port in Tema, Ghana. Maersk has appointed a CCCC subsidiary as lead contractor to carry out civil engineering works for this project.