On 1 October 2026, FreightWaves reported that China's Liner Shipping Connectivity Index reached 1,347.6 in September 2026, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). That reading was more than double the scores of second-ranked South Korea (633.0) and Singapore (626.7).
UNCTAD's index measures how deeply a country sits inside container-shipping networks using vessel calls, port capacity, carrier and service availability, largest ship size, and the number of countries reached through direct services. FreightWaves said the latest figures underline Asia's continuing central role in liner shipping. China led the region, while eight Asian economies (South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Japan, India, Hong Kong, and Taiwan) ranked among the world's 15 best-connected economies in the third quarter.
China's connectivity advantage has remained durable since 2023 and widened further through September, UNCTAD said. South Korea and Singapore kept high scores despite modest month-to-month declines and stayed above year-earlier levels. At the bilateral level, China's links with South Korea, Singapore, and Malaysia were among the five strongest liner connections globally in the first quarter of 2026, and UNCTAD noted that China-related Asian connections have strengthened over two decades to exceed many other corridors.