On July 11 2019, on the occasion of China Maritime Day and World Maritime Day, China Maritime Forum 2019 was cohosted in Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province by Ningbo Municipal People’s Government, CIN and Institute of Water Transportation Science, Ministry of Transport. In the Forum, Liu Xiaoming, Deputy Minister of Transport, Qiu Dongyao, Mayor of Ningbo Citydelivered speeches, and Kitack Lim, IMO Secretary-General , delivered video speeches. Xu Lirong, Chairman of China Ocean Shipping Group Co., Ltd., Fu Gangfeng, General Manager of China Merchants Group Co., Ltd., and Ke Lifen, Director of Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority, made keynote speeches. Huang Youfang, and Chairman of CIN and Deputy Director of the Organizing Committee presided over the main forum.
Also in presence were Huang Zhendong, former Minister of Communications, Li Shenglin, former Minister of Transport, Koji Sekimizu, former IMO Secretary-General, Hong Shanxiang, former Deputy Minister of Communications, Xu Zuyuan, former Deputy Minister of Transport, Gao Hongfeng, former Deputy Minister of Transport, Li Tianbi,Security Supervisor General of Ministry of Transport and Director of the Water Transport Bureau, Dong Guibo, Deputy Secretary-General of Zhejiang Provincial People’s Government.
In his keynote speech, Liu Xiaoming, Deputy Minister of Transport, extended festive greetings to sea-related workers, military and police officers and soldiers across the country. He pointed out that since the 18th National Congress of the CPC , CPC General Secretary Xi Jinping has made a series of important instructions on shipping and port development, pointing out the direction for the shipping undertaking. Under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, great achievements have been made in China's shipping industry with a modern shipping system emerging: global connection, rive and sea outreach, linkage of main stream and fork stream, and strong support. Five major coastal port clusters have been built, while the service gets globally-network, heightening the shipping industry significantly. He implied that promoting high-quality development of the shipping industry is an effective approach to strengthen win-win economic and trade cooperation among all countries, and a must-go to high-quality economic development, and the lead towards a transportation power .
The objective of this forum is to“Restart sailing the silk road for a shared blue dream", and themed with “high-quality development of the shipping industry”. Its slogan is“new silk road for great navigation”. The forum is composed of one main forum, four sub-forums and one parallel forum. The sub-forums are the China International Seafarers Forum, Private Port and Shipping Enterprises Forum on High Quality Development, China International Forum on Ship Technology and Safety, and Forum Sailing Afar Forum on Shipping Culture, paralleled by Maritime Silk Port Forum on International Cooperations.
Additional non-governmental events include China Shipping 50 Summit, the 4th National Youth Maritime Knowledge Contest and Belt and Road National Sailing Invitational Tournament, China Zheng He Navigation Billboard, Navy Ship Open Day. As many as 400 people attended the forum, including the leaders, experts and representatives from relevant government departments, port and shipping enterprises, societies, associations, scientific research institutions at home and abroad.
During the China Maritime Day Forum, the leaders of CIN also participated in the related sub-forums and series of events.
On the morning of July 10, the long-prepared China International Seafarers Forum unfolded in Ningbo. This forum brought together over 300 representatives from the port and shipping circles at home and abroad, officials from the Authorities in China and those from the international maritime organizations who cared about the training and development of seafarers, and the well-known international shipping enterprises as well. Focusing on the theme of Facing New Trends，Meeting Challenges，Promoting Integration and Seeking Development, they made in-depth discussin on the current problems and challenges in the development process of fostering seafarers, as well as the new ideas and methods for the sustainable development of seafarers. Cao Di, Executive Vice -Chairman of CIN, attended the forum and delivered a the closing speech.
On the afternoon of July 11, Private Port and Shipping Enterprises Forum on High Quality Development , one of the indispensable sub-forums of the China Maritime Day Forum, was successfully held in Ningbo. Wang Qun, Secretary General of CIN, attended the forum.
With the theme of “New transformation opportunity in the green drive”, the forum attracted 200 guests from port and shipping enterprises, government agencies, industry associations and scientific research institutions.
At the meeting, the distinguished guests and participants explored the path to high-quality development for private ports and shipping enterprises, and shared the new ideas, methods and experiences arising from the practice. The participating guests argued that China's private shipping enterprises should give full play to their strengths, such as big size, flexible operation mechanism, high innovation and outstanding differentiated competitiveness, and also accelerate the diversified and intensive management, continuously improve transport efficiency to ensure the innovation- driven development.
In the evening was the unveiling ceremony of 2019 China Zheng He Navigation Billboard. The elites in the maritime fields at home and abroad gathered in Ningbo. A total number of 44 institutions and individuals were awarded as the Best Shipping Company, the Best Ship Construction Enterprise and the most popular shipping management company. Huang Youfang, Chairman of CIN, and Cao Di, Executive Vice-Chairman attended the award ceremony. (Source:Integrated Affairs Department)