A port operator with one of the country's largest cargo handling capacities was created on Sunday with a ceremony in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province, Hebei Daily reported.

Throughput capacity of the Hebei Port Group exceeds 700 million metric tons annually, ranking third among giant port operators nationwide, the report said.

As one of the province's key State-owned companies, the group will be mainly engaged in port investment and operations.

It was established in conjunction with the integration of port resources in the province, the report said. It will run several ports, including those in seaside cities such as Tangshan and Qinhuangdao.

Hebei will strive to build its ports into giant, comprehensive world-class facilities, local authorities said.