On October 22, the First Shipping Youth Forum was held in Ningbo, Zhejiang. The forum, with the theme of “the way of shipping industry reform under the ‘dual circulation’ strategy”, conducted in-depth discussions on the development pathway of shipping industry under the new “dual circulation” development pattern. Affected by the pandemic, the forum was held mainly on site, combined with online parts and interaction in different contexts.
This forum is the first platform for young talents in shipping industry to exchange their views. The young talents in shipping industry gathered in the forum from Beijing, Shanghai, Zhoushan and Ningbo mostly from research institutes, shipping companies, management departments and shipping media.
The forum aimed to provide a platform for youths in shipping industry to exchange opinions and information and make friends through thematic discussions, round-table dialogues and salons for exchanging ideas
At the forum, the guests combined their work backgrounds and professional knowledge to analyze the future development of shipping industry under the new development pattern and provided unique insights.
After the global financial crisis in 2008, the shipping industry has been in a state of sluggish growth for a long time owing to the imbalance of global economic development. And this year, the COVID-19 pandemic that swept the world has caused significant fluctuations in the shipping market. Facing the complicated and severe development situation at home and abroad, China proposes to build a new development pattern that takes the domestic market as the mainstay and allows the domestic and foreign markets to boost each other..
“The “Dual Dirculation” pattern with domestic circulation as the mainstay doesn’t mean abandoning globalization.” Yang Yue, a Europe route analyst of COSCO Shipping Lines (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, pointed out. For China, the new development pattern under the background of COVID-19 is in line with its own development needs and global trade situation. "The shipping industry is bound to follow the transformation."
Chen Xiaopan, director of the Strategic Planning Research Institute of Ningbo Transportation Development Research Center, said that under the new development pattern with the domestic market as the mainstay and allows the domestic and foreign markets to boost each other, the new shipping industry must adapt to the new situation and grasp the new characteristics, with the focus on accelerating the digital transformation, raising the ability to manage and control business risk and promoting competitive service capabilities. “We can focus on increasing investment in shipping digital technology application, industrial chain digital facility connectivity and the construction of industry rules and standards."
Yin Xiangyu, director and associate researcher of the Economic Policy and Development Strategy Research Center of China Waterborne Transport Research Institute, pointed out that while continuing Covid-19 prevention and control, it is necessary to promote shipping policy innovation. “In my opinion, it is recommended to further expand the pilot scope and implementation of the policy for Chinese-funded Flag Of Convenience vessels to carry domestic cargoes in China and carefully and orderly approve foreign vessels to carry domestic cargoes in China and give full play to the leading role of shipping in serving the new development pattern of "Dual Circulation "
Since the reform and opening up, China's shipping industry has developed by leaps and bounds. Vessels have become larger and larger and port throughput has risen year by year. But it seems that it is getting away from people's lives. In this regard, Yu Ping, deputy director of the Shipping Department of Ningbo Port and Shipping Management Center, believes that under the new development pattern, it is also an era for the shipping industry to return to people’s lives. “Of course, the shipping industry that will return is different from that of the last century. Ships at that time were mainly transportation and production tools. In the future, they will be more used as carriers for people's recreation and cultural life."
It is reported that the Shipping Youth Forum is jointly sponsored by China Waterborne Transport Research Institute, Shanghai Shipping Exchange Bulletin., COSCO Shipping Lines, Ningbo Municipal Transportation Administration, Ningbo Municipal Port and Shipping Administratration, Ningbo Pilot Station, Ningbo MSA, Shipbid website, Ningbo Shipping Exchange Magazine and other institutions.