On November 3, the Second High-Quality Development Forum on Inland Waterway Transport, themed “New Inland Waterways, New Layouts, New Journeys,” was held in Yichang, Hubei Province. More than 200 representatives from inland waterway transport authorities, port and shipping enterprises, research institutions, universities, and relevant industry societies gathered to engage in dialogues and exchanges focusing on key areas and directions of inland waterway transport such as digitization, intelligence, and green development. They contributed their wisdom to advancing the high-quality development of inland waterway transport in the Chinese context.
He Jianzhong, President of the China Institute of Navigation and former Vice Minister of Transport, Yang Huaxiong, Director of the Water Transport Bureau of the Ministry of Transport, and Xiong Zhengyu, Secretary of the Yichang Municipal Party Committee, attended the forum and delivered speeches. Liu Liang, Director of the Changjiang Navigation Authority (CNA) of the Ministry of Transport, and Huan Zhaoping, Deputy Director of the CNA, presided over the forum.
He Jianzhong stated that to accelerate the high-quality development of inland waterway transport, it is necessary to expedite the construction of interconnection projects for the inland water transportation system, swiftly address bottlenecks in multimodal transport, vigorously promote the green transformation of inland waterway transport, and solidly advance the intelligent development of the shipping industry. CIN will continue to leverage its advantages as a platform for “marine science and technology innovation” and its role in integrating the industry chain and innovation chain. Relying on the Inland Waterway Transport High-Quality Development Professional Committee, the Institute will unite its member units and focus on the new development paradigm of inland waterway transport. On the new journey towards Chinese-style modernization, it will better demonstrate its role as a booster and catalyst and make new contributions to accelerating the construction of a powerful water transport sector within the context of a powerful transportation nation.
Yang Huaxiong noted that since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, China's inland waterway transport has seen a significant improvement in its development level. For several consecutive years, China has ranked first in the world in terms of inland waterway cargo volume and inland waterway mileage. The Changjiang River has become the busiest and highest-volume golden waterway globally, providing robust service and support for economic and social development. At this new historical starting point, we must follow the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping on transportation work. We should deepen reforms in the water transport sector, strengthen infrastructure construction, improve the industry governance system, and strive to build a modern water transport system that is safe, convenient, smart, green, economical, efficient, well-supported, and world-leading, serving the high-quality development of the economy and society. We should accelerate the removal of bottlenecks, deepen institutional and mechanism reforms, enhance transportation services, accelerate green and low-carbon development, accelerate technological innovation and development, and solidify the safety baseline.
Xiong Zhengyu stated that inland waterway transport plays a fundamental and pioneering role in serving the development pattern of “dual circulation” and boosting the high-quality development of regional economies. As an important transportation hub for inland waterway transport on the Changjiang River, Yichang boasts a well-established multimodal transport system, a thriving equipment manufacturing industry, and a green and intelligent shipping service brand. He hoped that this forum would serve as an opportunity to deepen exchanges and cooperation with cities along the river, focusing on expanding the scale of the hub, strengthening hub-based trade, and solidifying hub-related industries, thereby making Yichang's contribution to the high-quality development of inland waterway transport.
Liu Liang noted that this forum is a grand gathering for those involved in inland waterway transport across the country to share achievements and jointly plan for the future. Both within and outside the industry, there has been continuous effort to advance the high-quality development of inland waterway transport by seeking new ways to strengthen it, improving quality and efficiency, actively nurturing driving forces, and striving to create new models. He hoped that in the future, we could continue to pool our efforts, develop new types of productive forces according to local conditions, and jointly paint a colorful new picture of inland waterway transport.
In November of 2023, the First Inland River Shipping High-Quality Development Forum was successfully held in Wuhan. It played a positive role in gathering the wisdom and consensus of the inland river shipping industry, promoting technical exchanges, information sharing, and collaborative and integrated development in inland river shipping, effectively enhancing the industry’s image and influence. This year, the forum featured one main forum and four thematic forums, focusing on hot topics and frontier issues in the industry such as new-quality shipping, hub navigation, green vessels as well as communication and perception, continuously building an industry exchange platform for sharing, discussions, mutual learning, and common progress.
Hu Ya’an, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and chief engineer of the Nanjing Hydraulic Research Institute, delivered an academic report titled “Hydraulic Safety Research and Challenges of Large Navigation Structures” at the main forum. Li Yongheng, deputy director-general (in charge of work) of the Pearl River Administration of Navigational Affairs of the Ministry of Transport, Dong Lingsan, general manager of Heilongjiang Shipping Group, Wei Chunhui, chairman of China Mobile Communications Group Hubei Co., Ltd, Yang Zongkai, president of Wuhan University of Technology(WUT), Qi Junlin, director of Three Gorges Navigation Authority(TGNA), Zhang Yi, chairman of China Changjiang National Shipping (Group) Corporation(CSC), and other guests delivered excellent speeches.
During the forum, 17 units including China Yangtze River Navigation Authority(CJHY), China Classification Society, the transportation departments of 14 provinces and municipalities in the Yangtze River system, and Office of the Shanghai Combined Ports Management Committee jointly issued the “Initiative to Promote High-Quality Development of Yangtze River Shipping.” This initiative revolves around six aspects: accelerating the implementation of national strategies, laying a solid foundation for safe development, portraying a harmonious picture of human and water, building an integrated transportation system, developing new quality productive forces in water transportation, and constructing a unified and open market. It proposes adhering to inter-provincial consultation, joint ecological governance, comprehensive regional construction, and shared development to jointly serve in constructing a new development paradigm, a high-level and comprehensive security framework, a green development demonstration zone, a convenient and efficient three-dimensional transportation network, promoting high-end and intelligent shipping development, and reducing logistics costs for the whole society. Additionally, the unveiling ceremony of the Yangtze River Branch of the China Shipowners’ Association(CSA) was held, along with the launch ceremony for compiling the “High-Quality Development Report on Inland River Shipping.”
The 17 units jointly issued the “Initiative to Promote High-Quality Development of Yangtze River Shipping”
Liu Liang, director of CJHY, and Zhang Yi, chairman of CSC, unveiled the Yangtze River Branch of CSA.
The compilation of the “High-Quality Development Report on Inland River Shipping” was launched.
Approved by the Ministry of Transport, this forum was hosted by CJHY and the China Institute of Navigation(CIN). It was co-organized by TGNA, WUT, CSC, CSA, the Inland River Shipping High-Quality Development Professional Committee of CIN, China Water Transport Newspaper Co.,Ltd, and Changjiang Communication Management Bureau. It was assisted by the School of Transportation and Marine Engineering of WUT, Wuhan Changjiang Shipping Co., Ltd, China Mobile Communications Corporation Hubei Co., Ltd, the Navigation Lock Professional Committee of CIN, Yichang Three Gorges Navigation Engineering and Technology Co., Ltd, and other units.