On November 15, the opening ceremony and keynote session of the 2024 World Maritime Equipment Conference, organized by the People's Government of Fujian Province and hosted by the People’s Government of Fuzhou City, was held in Fuzhou. The theme of the conference was “Carrying the Dreams of Humanity to New Horizons.”
He Baoxiang, Vice chairperson of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and Executive Vice chairperson of the Central Committee of the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang(RCCK), Zhou Zuyi, Secretary of the Fujian Provincial Party Committee and Chairperson of the Standing Committee of the Fujian Provincial People's Congress, Xin Guobin, Vice Minister of Industry and Information Technology, Li Yang, Vice Minister of Transport, Zhou Liwei, Vice Governor of Shandong Province (the guest province), and Wang Wensheng, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport of Cambodia, Maurice Leroy, former Minister of the French Ministry of City Affairs and Shi Zhongjun, Secretary General of the ASEAN- China Center, attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches. The keynote session was chaired by Wu Xiande, Deputy Secretary of the Fuzhou Municipal Committee and Mayor of the Fuzhou Municipal People’s Government. Guo Ningning, Secretary of the Fujian Provincial Party Committee and Secretary of the Fuzhou Municipal Party Committee, delivered a speech, and Wang Yongli, Member of the Standing Committee of the Fujian Provincial Party Committee and Executive Vice Governor of the Fujian Provincial People’s Government, introduced the development of the marine economy in Fujian Province. Zhang Baochen, Executive Vice Chairman of the China Institute of Navigation (CIN) and the President of the International Association of Institutes of Navigation (IAIN), attended the opening ceremony and keynote session and delivered a keynote speech titled “Autonomous Navigation.”
Zhang Baochen, Executive Vice Chairman of the China Institute of Navigation (CIN) and the President of the International Association of Institutes of Navigation (IAIN), Delivered a Keynote Speech
Zhang Baochen introduced the definition of autonomous navigation and the representative cases of the pioneering countries. He also presented the basic situation of “Zhi Fei”, the first autonomous 300TEU container ship independently developed in China, as well as its value and significance , and the challenges . Zhang Baochen said: Autonomous navigation technology will promote the reconstruction of the shipping system and industry, and bring opportunities for creating new advantages in maritime equipment, serving an important lever for a maritime power in the new era. The next ten years or so is an important stage for the development of autonomous navigation technology. In addition to strengthening research and development of technology and equipment,we also need to make coordination and concerted efforts in face of the multiple tasks of standard setting, legislation, talent cultivation, and infrastructure construction.
The conference contained various activities, including the opening ceremony, keynote speeches, the Fujian Provincial Conference on Cooperation and Innovative Development of Ocean Economic Industries which was attended by top experts and scholars in the field of marine equipment, as well as representatives of leading enterprises and industry organizations from home and abroad . On the topic of multiple issues, such as technological innovation, equipment manufacturing, industrial cooperation and cultural exchange, the attendees held in-depth conversation, contributing their wisdom and strength to the transformation and upgrading of the global marine equipment industry, promoting of the high-quality of the Belt and Road initiative, and construction of maritime community of a shared future.