YICHANG, May 14 (Xinhua) -- Shipping ability of Yangtze River has been improved since the reservoir of the Three Gorges opened sluices in 2003, said Cao Guangjing, deputy general manager of the China Yangtze River Three Gorges Project Development Corporation, on Sunday.

    Statistics showed shipping abilities on the river have increased from the 14.75 million tons in 2003 to 43.08 million tons in 2004 and then to 43.93 million tons in 2005.

    In addition to cargo transportation, 1.88 million people have traveled through the river.

    Cao attributed the increased shipping ability on the Yangtze River to the improvement of navigation environment and reduced transport charges.

    Launched in 1993, the Three Gorges Project is being built on the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, China's longest. Enditem