A dramatic waterspout formed on Monday over the sea near Wenchang, south China's Hainan Province.
The towering rotating column connected dark storm clouds to the ocean surface. It lasted for about two minutes and then moved ashore without causing any damage or casualties.
Meteorologists identified it as a classic waterspout – a tornado that develops over warm water.
While visually stunning, waterspouts can be as dangerous as tornadoes. Authorities advise people heading to coastal or open areas to monitor weather conditions and seek shelter immediately if thunderstorms, strong winds or rotating cloud columns appear.
Waterspout spotted off coast of Hainan
The Youyiguan Port, or Friendship Pass, in Pingxiang City of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region neighboring Vietnam registered sharp growth in the value of imports and exports in the first half of this year.
The port, China's main gateway to Vietnam, recorded a total import and export cargo value of 364.12 billion yuan (about 53.77 billion U.S. dollars) in the first six months, up 26 percent year on year.
The trade with ASEAN member states dominated the port's performance, with the value of imports from and exports to ASEAN countries reaching 361.4 billion yuan in the January-June period, a 26.2 percent increase year on year, accounting for 99.3 percent of the port's total cross-border volume.
Machinery and electronic products remained the main categories of imports and exports through the port.
To facilitate economic and trade exchanges between China and ASEAN countries, the local customs authorities have introduced a series of measures to simplify the customs declaration and clearance procedures, raising the overall inspection efficiency by 40 percent.
South China's Friendship Pass registers sharp growth in value of imports, exports in January-June
