China Maritime Week 2024 activities highlight professionalism, internationality, and public participation
July 11th marks the 20th “China Maritime Day,” bearing the theme "Smart Navigation, Leading into Future"，the press briefing for the China Maritime Week 2024 shared on July 10. China Maritime Week 2024 activities are centered in the Binhai New Area of Tianjin. The activities will include five key sections: the China Maritime Forum series, China Navigation Academic Conference, maritime science popularization activities, exhibitions, and mass maritime cultural activities.
Li Shixin, Vice President of China Institute of Navigation, introduced that this year’s main events mainly present five distinctive features.
Firstly, the event will further highlight professionalism and internationality, and broaden content coverage. On the morning of July 11, China Maritime Forum and Opening Ceremony of China Maritime Week 2024 will be held in Binhai New Area. The Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization and the Secretary-General of the International Association of Institutes of Navigation (IAIN) will deliver written and video speeches. The President of the World Shipping Council will give a keynote speech. This year's sub-forums will focus on new trends and characteristics in the industry, with further expanded content and themes, including the development of new marine industries forum, green shipping finance forum, maritime safety education development forum, pilotage development forum, and engineering vessels forum.
Additionally, the China Navigation Academic Conference 2024 officially opened on July 10, conducting academic exchanges centering on the theme of “Scientific and Technological Innovation Leading High-Quality Shipping Development.” Over 200 papers were solicited for the conference, and from July 10 to 11, paper exchanges and expert evaluations will take place to select outstanding and best papers.
Secondly, authoritative releases will highlight maritime features with richer content. During the opening ceremony, the Report on China’s Shipping Development 2023, lists of quality shipping companies and vessels, winners of the National May 1 Labor Medal and National Worker Pioneer Awards in the maritime sector, achievements in smart port construction, and winners of Science and Technology Award of CIN will be announced. The captain of the vessel “NEW VISION " of China Merchants Group, representing all crew members, will read an initiative, calling on maritime professionals to contribute further to the construction of a strong transportation nation.
Thirdly, the event will focus on the new trends of green, low-carbon, and smart shipping development, organizing high-end think tank discussions. The Summit on Building up China’s Shipping Strength, a maritime think tank seminar hosted by the China Institute of Navigation, will be held on the afternoon of July 11. It will invite former leaders of the Ministry of Transport, academicians of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and leading experts, scholars, and executives from large port and shipping enterprises, relevant institutes. They will discuss and offer suggestions on the “Low (Zero) Carbon Development Paths and Strategies for the Shipping Industry under the Dual Carbon Goals.”
Fourthly, the event will jointly organize exchange activities with trade unions and enterprises for frontline workers. This year, the Captain and Chief Engineer Salon will continue to focus on “Grasping the New Trends of Green, Low-Carbon, and Smart Shipping, and Building a New Development Pattern of High-Quality Seafarers.” The inaugural “Port Craftsman Innovation Exchange Camp” will also be held, organizing port industry workers and innovation leaders to conduct cross-regional, cross-industry, and cross-enterprise seminars and exchanges on topics such as the outlook for technical development trends in the port industry and the participation of technical workers in industry governance.
Fifthly, the maritime science popularization and cultural activities will be rich and with strong public participation. On July 9, the Opening Ceremony of National Navigation Science Popularization Week and “Experts View on Sailing” Science Popularization Lecture 2024 were held at the National Maritime Museum. The Navigation Science Popularization Summer Camp 2024 also officially opened. The site also held an exhibition of outstanding works from the Maritime Calligraphy and Painting Competition for primary and secondary school students, the "Naval Power: China's Famous Naval Vessels" exhibition, and a special exhibition on China's nautical charts. These related thematic exhibitions will continue for a month. On the evening of July 11, the 2024 Zheng He Maritime Selecting Activity and public maritime cultural events will also take place.
Moreover, this year’s Exhibition on Maritime Technology will be expanded into a Exhibition on Maritime Technology and Education, showcased in the form of exhibition boards at the venue. During China Maritime Week 2024, the Tianjin International Shipping Industry Expo 2024 will also be held concurrently, showcasing the achievements of shipping industry development from different perspectives.
Chen Bo, Deputy Head of the People’s Government of Binhai New Area, Tianjin, stated that during China Maritime Week 2024, the Binhai New Area will organize a series of public cultural activities with local characteristics, including the main-venue public performance of “Maritime Charm of Binhai City, Sailing for the Future”, the “Smart Navigation, Leading into Future” Children’s Creative Art Exhibition, the “Smart Navigation, Future Binhai , With One Heart to Build the Maritime Dream together” speech contest for primary and secondary school students, and the “Enjoying the Sunrise at Dongjiang, Protecting the Beautiful Ocean” coastal tourism week.
Meanwhile, Tianjin also organized more than 20 special activities, including the exhibition and display activity of “Exploring the Ocean and Connecting the World”, the popular science lecture on “the Pillars of a Great Power: Aircraft Carriers”, the navigation exhibition and popular science activity of “No Boundaries: Cultural Exchange and Mutual Learning between Chinese and Foreign Navigation Cultures”, the special exhibition of Chinese nautical charts of “Navigational Charts and Strategic Planning”, the series of activities of “Mazu Culture and the Maritime Silk Road”, and the open day at the maritime science popularization education base.
To facilitate public participation, major activities during China Maritime Week 2024 are arranged to be broadcast live online. The public can watch through platforms such as the official website of the China Institute of Navigation, the Ministry of Transport’s Tiktok and Kwai accounts, the Sina Weibo of the Ministry of Transport, as well as on CCTV Video, Guangming Online, and other platforms.
At the press briefing, Li Shixin, Chen Bo, Gu Yin, the Deputy Secretary General of China Ports and Harbors Association, and Feng Yue, the Deputy Director of China Waterborne Transport Research Institute, also answered questions from journalists on the effectiveness of China Maritime Day, the development of new marine industries supported by the transportation industry, the growth of smart navigation technology, the development of cruise tourism in Tianjin, the effectiveness of China’s smart port construction, and the harmonious integration of Tianjin's port, industry and city.