Shipping line strategies coupled with economic growth have sparked marked port development in and around world cities. Like Kaohsiung, Hong Kong has extension plans at Tsing Yi and Lantau, and Singapore at Pulau Brani, to enhance their superhub status derived from their manufacturing bases and pivotal locational positions in shipping line itineraries. Although these may attract bulk cargoes, there are few signs of a marked decentralization of containerized cargoes from the superhubs. The longest leg between world cities is 5,795 km between Jakarta and Tokyo, and the shortest is 300 km between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. Hong Kong is the network's pivot because it has the shortest total distance to all other centres.
Time is more important than distance.