China Maritime Week 2024 launches in Tianjin, China
Smart navigation stimulates new motivation, leading into future to boost a strong country in transportation
July 11 marks the 20th “China Maritime Day”, with the theme of “Smart Navigation Leading into Future”. On this day, ships were decked out with flags and sounded tlong horns as China Maritime Forum and Opening Ceremony of China Maritime Week 2024 were held in the Tianjin Binhai New Area.
Li Xiaopeng, Party Secretary and Minister of Transport of China
Zhang Gong, Deputy Secretary of Tianjin Municipal Party Committee and Mayor of Tianjin
Lian Maogun, Secretary of the Party Committee of Tianjin Binhai New Area
Li Xiaopeng, Party Secretary and Minister of Transport of China, Zhang Gong, Deputy Secretary of Tianjin Municipal Party Committee and Mayor of Tianjin, and Lian Maogun, Standing Committee Member of Tianjin Municipal Party Committee and Secretary of Tianjin Binhai New Area Committee, attended the forum and delivered speeches.
Wu Chunggong, Chief Planner of the Ministry of Transport, attended the main forum and delivered a keynote speech. Hesham Helal, Secretary General of the International Association of Institutes of Navigation (IAIN), delivered a speech via video. The Organizing Committee of the China Maritime Day released the “Announcement of China Maritime Day 2024”.
He Jianzhong, Chairman of the China Institute of Navigation
Liu Shubin, President of China Waterborne Transport Research Institute
The first phase of the main forum was presided over by He Jianzhong, Chiarman of China Institute of Navigation, and the second phase by Liu Shubin, President of China Waterborne Transport Research Institute.
Notable attendees included: Huang Zhendong, the former Minister of Transport and the former Secretary of Chongqing Municipal Party Committee, Xie Yuan, Vice Mayor of Tianjin Municipal Government, Gu Gang, Vice Governor of Hainan Province, Hong Shanxiang and Hu Xijie, formerDeputy Ministers of Transport, Yang Limin, former Head of Discipline Inspection Group of the CCDI in the Ministry of Transport, Weng Mengyong, formerDeputy Minister of Transport and Chairman of the China Highway & Transportation Society, Gao Hongfeng, the former Deputy Minister of Transport and China Express Association, Xu Zuyuan, former Deputy Minister of Transport and 7th Chairman of China Institute of Navigation, Xu Lirong, former chairman of COSCO Shipping Group and chairman of China Shipowners Mutual Assurance Association, Rear Admiral Duan Zhaoxian, former deputy chief of staff of the navy, Shi Heping, former vice governor of the Jiangsu Provincial Government and chairman of the Jiangsu Province Comprehensive Transportation Society, and Yan Xinping, Chair professor of Wuhan University of Science and Technology and academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.
Before the opening ceremony, Li Xiaopeng, Zhang Gong, along with the participating guests visited the Navigation Technology and Education Exhibition.
Wan Min, Party Secretary Group and Chairman of China COSCO Shipping Corporation, Jin Donghan, Party Secretary and President of Tianjin University, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Li Yi, Deputy Director General of the Equipment Production Second Department of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Gu Jinshan, Chairman of the China Ports & Harbors Association，Party Secretary and Chairman of Shanghai International Port (Group) Co. Joseph Edward Kramek, President and CEO (Designate) of the World Shipping Council and Pei Minshan, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Committee and Deputy General Manager of China Communications Construction Group Company Limited delivered keynote speeches.
The forum released the 2023 Report on China’s Shipping Development , lists of Quality Shipping Companies and Ships 2024, and the winners of the National May 1 Labor Medal and the National Worker Pioneer titles in the maritime sector 2024. It also announced the winners of the Science and Technology Award of CIN 2023 and the 2024 CIN Youth Science and Technology Award. Maritime Safety Administration of the People’s Republic of China (China MSA) awarded Huayuan Star Shipping Co., Ltd., and 10 other companies, the title of Quality Shipping Company, and issued China-Japan International Ferry Co., Ltd.,and 33 other companies annual endorsements. A total of 290 ships, including “Guodian 7,” were awarded the title of Quality Ship. The projects "Research on Key Technologies of Autonomous Navigation for Sea-going Ships and Demonstration Application of “Zhifei” Ship and “Research and Application of Key Technologies for Ultra-High Head Compound Multi-Stage Ship Lift at Wujiang Goupitan” won the special prize of the 2023 Science and Technology Award of CIN. The project “Research and Application of Key Technologies for Robust Sand Transportation and Harbor Construction” and 16 other projects won the first prize of the 2023 Science and Technology Award of CIN. Additionally, 38 projects won the Second Prize, and 23 projects won the Third Prize. Wang Yanbin from China University of Petroleum (Beijing) and 19 others received the 2024 China Maritime Youth Science and Technology Award.
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, and also the 75th anniversary of the uprising of the ship “Hai Liao”. Captain Zhong Wenxin of China Merchants Group, on behalf of the entire crew of the vessel “NEW VISION”, issued an initiative titled “Making New Contributions to Accelerate the Construction of a Strong Country in Transportation and Water Transport”, calling on all seafarers to be patriotic and dedicated, to break new ground and innovating, and to embark on a new journey; to be loyal to their duties, and to make new contributions; to be be brave in the face of dangers, to be pragmatic, and to climb new heights; and to work together with inclusive cooperation and to achieve new accomplishments in the new era.
The forum also invited international organizations such as the International Maritime Organization, the World Shipping Council, the World Bank, the Consulate General of Greece in Shanghai, Department of Marine Administration of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, the Marine Department of Hong Kong Government, the Hong Kong Seamen’s Union, the Indonesian Seamen’s Union, the Philippine Seafarers' Union, the Singapore Pilots Station, and the Association of Banking and Financial Executives of Hellenic Shipping; representatives from domestic and foreign port and shipping enterprises, industry authorities, research institutes, industry associations and other units also attended the forum.
Building synergy, developing motivational power, and enhancing capacity for high-quality development of the shipping industry.
Li Xiaopeng pointed out that General Secretary Xi Jinping attaches great importance to port and shipping work, and has made important instructions on many occasions, has pointed out the direction and provided fundamental guidelines for promoting the development of ports and shipping. We should thoroughly act in accordance with the gist of General Secretary Xi’s important instructions, comply with the development trends of the new era, be brave in exploration and actively act, empower navigation with technology, lead the future with wisdom. It is necessary to build synergy, develop motivational power, and enhance capacity for the high-quality development of the shipping industry, and contribute to maintaining the stability and fluency of the global industrial chain supply chain, and promoting the prosperity of the global economy.
Li Xiaopeng stated that at present, the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation is deeply influencing and fostering new growth drivers and new strengths of global shipping development. Shipping industry should actively comply with the new trend of green, low-carbon, intelligent development, adhere to the innovation-driven, win-win cooperation, accelerate the cultivation of new quality productive forces, to achieve high-quality development, and lay a solid foundation for striving to accelerate the construction of a strong transportation country, and become a frontier in China's modernization drive.
Li Xiaopeng stressed that we should adhere to the overall planning, promote system upgrading, accelerate the all-round development of intelligent ports, intelligent waterways, intelligent ships, intelligent shipping services, to enhance the total- factor, whole-chain digital and intelligent levels of the shipping industry. He also stressed that we should persist in demand orientation, strengthen research breakthroughs, target the sci-tech frontiers, promote cost reduction, quality improvement, and efficiency enhancement in transportation and logistics, and strengthen basic research and the integration of industry, academia and research, to achieve major breakthroughs in forward-looking, leading original achievements and transformation and application. Additionally, he highlighted that we should adhere to innovation-driven development to enhance growth drivers, promote the application of high-tech such as the Internet of Things, cloud computing, big data, artificial intelligence in the field of shipping, accelerate the enhancement of ship operations, port production and navigation security intelligent service level to contribute China's wisdom and strength to the development of the global shipping industry. Li Xiaopeng also emphasized that we need to adhere to open cooperation, promote mutual benefit and win-win outcomes, follow the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, make good use of platforms such as the Global Sustainable Transport Innovation and Knowledge Center, and promote the complementarity of strengths and experience of various countries in the fields of ships, ports and waterways, so as to share the development results of intelligent navigation.
China’s Smart Shipping and Smart Ports Reach a New Level
At the main forum, 2023 Report on China’s Shipping Development and the Achievements of China's Smart Ports Development were released.
The 2023 Report on China’s Shipping Development
The 2023 Report on China’s Shipping Development pointed out that in 2023, China transported nearly one third of the total global maritime cargo. The throughput of ship locks such as the Three Gorges Hub on the Yangtze River, the Changzhou Hub on the Xijiang River, and the Beijing Hangzhou Grand Canal has reached a new high. The capability and level of services for transporting key materials and international container transportation have been further improved; water transport construction investment completed 20.57 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 20.1 percent. At the same time, a number of major projects have accelerated. A container terminal project in the northern operations area of Xiaoyangshan port area in Shanghai has begun construction both on land and at sea, and work has commenced along the entire route of the Pinglu Canal project; the national container rail-water intermodal transportation volume reached 10.18 million TEUs, a year-on-year increase of 15.9%; a batch of domestic high-quality tourist passenger routes are full of highlights, and the international cruise transportation fully resumed; the scale of the shipping fleet remains among the largest in the world, and major breakthroughs have been made in the design and construction of domestic LNG carriers and cruise ships ;The coverage of electronic navigational charts across China's waterways exceeded 5,700 kilometers, and the electronic navigation map of the main line of the Yangtze River has achieved full coverage；The application of electronic delivery platforms for maritime import containers and bulk cargo continues to expand. China has been elected as a CategoryA member of the International Maritime Organization Council for 18 consecutive times.The influence of China's Maritime Day activities and the North Bund Forum keeps growing, and a number of opening-up and innovative policies on shipping have been implemented in the Hainan Free Trade Port.The world's first shipping futures product developed based on the China indexes have been successfully listed, and the construction of Shanghai International Shipping Center has been taken to a new level.
Achievements of China’s Smart Ports Development
Achievements of China’s Smart Ports Development show that China's ports have entered a new era of automation development. Up to now, the scale of automated container terminals, both built and under construction, ranks among the top in the world. China has mastered the core technologies across the entire chain ,including design and construction, equipment manufacturing, system integration and operation management. The overall application scale and technical level are at the forefront of the international arena. The automated terminal construction technology standards have gone abroad; automated terminals such as the Khalifa Port in Abu Dhabi, UAE, has adopted Chinese technical standards in the overall layout, loading and unloading process and other aspects.
In addition, the automation transformation of China's dry bulk terminals has been accelerated, with Qinhuangdao Port, Huanghua Port, Qingdao Port, Ningbo Zhoushan Port and Zhangjiagang Port realizing full automation of the dry bulk operation process, and the production process is shifting to unmanned and intelligent operations; a series of core technological achievements with independent intellectual property rights has been formed; and the port services are moving towards the platformization and informatization.
Promoting intelligent and green ships and marine equipment
Experts at the conference unanimously agreed that it is necessary to aim at the direction of high-end, intelligent and green development, make concerted efforts at multiple levels, foster new growth drivers and new strengths. Technological innovation should lead the construction of a modern industrial system, strengthen global industrial and technological cooperation, promote the high-quality development of ships and marine engineering equipment, and move faster to build China into a strong transportation and marinecountry.
Li Yi, Deputy Director of Equipment Industry Division II of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology
Li Yi suggests strengthening innovation-driven approaches to build a technological high ground in the shipbuilding industry. We will deeply carry out industrial foundation reengineering projects and research projects on major technologies and equipment, and major technology and equipment research project, strengthen the collaborative innovation between enterprises, universities, research institutes, and end-users, boost complementation, accelerate the transformation and application of scientific research results, and continue to enhance the industry's scientific and technological innovation capabilities. We will promote industrial upgrading and achieve high-end, intelligent, and green development, and accelerate the application and promotion of alternative fuels,new types of energy-efficient and eco-friendly technologies for ships, and promote the upgrading of traditional shipping and marine oil and gas equipment. We will focus on building a green manufacturing system, actively promote ecological product design, cleaner production processes, and efficient energy use. Promote the digital transformation of the shipbuilding industry, and vigorously push forward the “intelligent transformation and digital transformation” of the shipbuilding industry.
Jin Donghan, Deputy Party Secretary and President of Tianjin University and
Jin Donghan also believes that efforts should be made to promote the application of new technologies such as digitalization and intelligence in the whole industry chain of shipbuilding and operation. In his view, building green and intelligent ships is an urgent need for the development of international shipping. He suggested efforts should be made to promote the efforts to develop low (zero) carbon power system;planning for large-scale low-cost production of renewable fuels such as green methanol, and proposing Chinese approaches in the field of zero-carbon and net-zero-carbon fuels. He also recommended strengthening the development of relevant standards to lead the advancement of green intelligent technology and industrial development.
Pei Minshan, member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and Deputy General Manager of China Communications Construction Company Limited ("CCCC")
As the main force in China's infrastructure construction, CCCC Group is committed to building a modern industrial chain that is globally leading, intelligent, green, safe, and resilient. Pei Minshan stated that it is important to keep pace with the tide of the times, accelerate the research into core technologies, strive to make breakthroughs in the fields of 3E ultra large port machinery, deep-sea and ocean core equipment, international shipping logistics, etc., comprehensively enhance the development level of the entire shipping industry chain, and shape new advantages for high-quality development with new quality productive forces. Pei also stressed that it is necessary to accelerate intelligent transformation, promote the deep integration of new-generation information technology such as big data, Internet, artificial intelligence with the port and shipping industry, speed up the construction of new infrastructure such as smart ports, digital channels, green dredging, intelligent equipment, modern logistics, to stimulate new driving forces for the shipping industry with intelligence.
Building a more resilient and dynamic modern shipping system
Experts at the conference noted that China's shipping industry should be propelled by scientific and technological innovation . With a special focus on the deep integration of new-generation information technology with shipping business scenarios , China's shipping industry should continuously build a more resilient and dynamic modern shipping system, which is crucial to writing a chapter on water transportation to accelerate the construction of a strong transportation nation.
Wu Chunkeng, Chief Planner of the Ministry of Transportation
Talented personnel are the primary resources, and innovation is the primary driving force. Wu Chunggeng said that efforts should be made to deepen shipping science and technology innovation and open cooperation, carry out forward-looking research and tackle scientific and technological projects, accelerate the independent research and application of core software and hardware for the new generation of automated terminals. Wu stressed that it is important to cultivate first-class scientists and innovation teams, actively train outstanding engineers, great master craftsmen and high skilled talents . He also emphasized that it is essential to take forward collaborative innovation among the government, industry, academia, research and application. Both the well-functioning market and an enabling government have an important role to form a collaborative force across the entire industrial chain. Actively participate in international maritime governance, accelerate the formulation of technologies, rules and standards, promote the “going global” of relevant technologies and standards, and provide Chinese wisdom for the development of global shipping.
Wan Min, Secretary of the Party Group and Chairman of China Ocean Shipping Group Co.
The shipping industry is the lifeline of the global economy, providing a strong guarantee for enhancing global connectivity and reducing logistics costs for the whole society. Wan Min said that COSCO Shipping Group is deeply aware that building a safe, stable, smooth and efficient, open, inclusive, and mutually beneficial global supply chain system will inject powerful momentum into the sustainable growth of global economy and trade. At present, COSCO Shipping is committed to building a global digital supply chain service ecosystem integrating “shipping + logistics + ports” and constructing a global digital supply chain platform. COSCO Shipping Group is looking forward to strengthening cooperation among key logistics nodes such as shipping, ports, railways and highways globally, sharing resources, creating products, building an ecosystem, and making unremitting efforts to provide flexible, diverse, green, intelligent, resilient and safe all-link services.
Gu Jinshan, President of China Ports Association, Party Secretary and Chairman of Shanghai International Port (Group) Co.
Gu Jinshan, who has been deeply engaged in the port industry for a long time, stated that upgrading the intelligence level of ports and shipping is a need for the deep integration and synergistic development of the global logistics network. Gu Jinshan suggested that the relevant departments take the lead in building a smart port research platform composed of port and shipping enterprises and scientific research institutions, concentrating resources to form a joint force, reducing the waste caused by each port investing in research and development, and focusing on the world's cutting-edge science and technology while concentrating on solving the pain points and bottlenecks common to China's ports, in order to maintain China's leading position in the world's smart ports. He also said that network security should be regarded as the top priority in the construction of smart ports, and the level of port network security should be continuously improved.
Hesham Helal-- Secretary-General of the International Association of Institutes of Navigation（IAIN）
Hesham Helal stated that the R&D and application of smart ship technologies embody the deep integration of the shipping industry and shipbuilding industry. The construction and use of emerging infrastructure have led to improved communication efficiency, reduced management costs, and facilitated efficient operation within the shipping industry. The global shipping industry is accelerating its industrial restructuring, only through innovation and sincere cooperation can common development be pursued.
Joseph Edward Kyrmek -- President and Incoming CEO of the World Shipping Council
Joseph Edward Kyrmek similarly emphasized that the application of technologies and equipment such as Internet of Things, big data, artificial intelligence, autonomous ships in the shipping industry to promote intelligent navigation is a show of embracing change. Faced with new developmental trends, it is essential to uphold open cooperation and deepen innovation efforts in order to shape a sustainable, safe, and secure shipping industry that contributes towards realizing a promising future outlook.
Accelerating the Construction of the Northern International Shipping Core Zone
Tianjin is closely tied to the Bohai Sea and strive for ocean-oriented development. It serves as a maritime gateway for the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and the intersection of the land and sea routes of the Belt and Road Initiative. With 2100 square kilometers of marine resources and an integrated transportation system connecting domestic and international markets, Tianjin Port stands as a crucial shipping hub in northern China, providing access to over 500 ports in more than 180 countries and regions, with a throughput ranking among the top ten globally.
Zhang Gong emphasized that Tianjin will vigorously carry forward the navigation spirit in the new era, expedite the development of the Northern International Shipping Core Zone, deepen and consolidate integrated growth across port, industry, and city. This approach seeks to empower these entities mutually while fostering coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and contributing significantly to high-quality collaboration under the Belt and Road Initiative. Additionally, Tianjin is ready to seize the opportunity provided by the China Maritime Week 2024 to learn development ideas for navigation and shipping as well as various successful experiences of other regions. It also intends to deepen practical cooperation with major ports and shipping enterprises with a view toward contributing substantially to the intelligent green transformation within the shipping industry as well as the development of the Blue Economy.
Lian Maojun said that we should leverage core strategic resources at Tianjin Port while enhancing the hard connectivity of infrastructure and the soft connectivity of resources and elements. Continuous expansion into ocean routes is planned alongside initiatives aimed at building a green smart port that serves as a key strategic fulcrum for the connection of domestic and international markets at superior standards. We should strengthen the port industry, deepen the “Five Types” of opening-up, push forward the campaign to improve the Pilot Free Trade Zone, optimize the main functional areas of the marine industry in the development zones, and vigorously develop the port and shipping services industry, industries near the port, and the marine industry, building a high-quality marine economy demonstration zone. The vision includes creating an environment conducive for prosperous port cities—characterized by first-class business environments—and shaping urban spaces known for their excellence while fostering open atmospheres conducive for shared prosperity—a goal aligned with building a high-standard new-era “convenient”, “livable”, “green”, “shareable” beautiful “coastal city”.
Cosco Shipping has been actively promoting green low-carbon transformations through innovative projects such as distributed wind power green energy initiatives at Tianjin Port. Through integrating wind, photovoltaic and energy storage, it has helped the Second Container Terminal’s evolution into becoming the world’s first “Smart Zero-Carbon” terminal. Wan Min highlighted that Tianjin as China’s largest northern port city, has superior geographical location and transportation conditions., with a high concentration of key factors of shipping services. In the future, Cosco Shipping will align itself closely with Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei’s coordinated developmental strategy, actively participate in construction of the Northern International Shipping Core Zone, and continue to deepen cooperation with Tianjin in smart ports, digital supply chain construction, and green port and shipping development, to achieve win-win development.