The tide rises in the east, and the Silk Road sings a long song. On May 27, the 2025 Maritime Silk Road Port Cooperation Forum (2025MPF), with the theme of "Go Green, Go Intelligent", opened at the Ningbo International Conference Center in Zhejiang Province. This four-day international event (May 26–29) attracted over 900 institutions and enterprises from more than 40 countries and regions, as well as more than 1,000 guests. They gathered together to participate in the "1+2+N" series of activities. The forum facilitates in-depth discussions on current international port and shipping hot topics, international business cooperation and standards convergence, and contributes new strength to the sustainable growth of the global port and shipping industry.
The 2025MPF is hosted by the People's Government of Ningbo City the Department of Transport of Zhejiang Province, and the Department of Marine Economic Development of Zhejiang Province, and organized by Zhejiang Seaport Group and Ningbo Zhoushan Port Group. As an important practice to implement the directive of General Secretary Xi Jinping for Zhejiang should deepen reform and expand its opening-up initiatives further the Forum is closely aligned with national and provincial strategies as well as with evolving trends in the port and shipping sectors. A multi-level, cross-sectoral activity framework has been established to provide an international platform for business complementarity, technological exchange, and cultural mutual learning for the global port and shipping industry.
The 2025MPF is hosted by the People's Government of Ningbo City the Department of Transport of Zhejiang Province, and the Department of Marine Economic Development of Zhejiang Province, and organized by Zhejiang Seaport Group and Ningbo Zhoushan Port Group. As an important practice to implement the directive of General Secretary Xi Jinping for Zhejiang should deepen reform and expand its opening-up initiatives further the Forum is closely aligned with national and provincial strategies as well as with evolving trends in the port and shipping sectors. A multi-level, cross-sectoral activity framework has been established to provide an international platform for business complementarity, technological exchange, and cultural mutual learning for the global port and shipping industry.
In the opening address, He Jianzhong noted that the global economic recovery remains slow, while unilateralism and trade protectionism are on the rise, presenting severe risks and challenges for the development of the port and shipping industries. The theme of this forum, “Go Green, Go Intelligent” aligns with global trends toward green, low-carbon practices and digital transformation, and addresses critical issues to achieving high-quality development in the sector. He called for joint efforts and work closely together to deepen cooperation, pool wisdom, and keep the Silk Road spirit cooperation, shared wisdom, and expanded exchange, with an emphasis on carrying forward the Silk Road spirit of peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning, and win-win collaboration as alive and strong as ever. Through green practices, sustainable development can be advanced; through digital and intelligent innovation, industrial transformation can be accelerated; and through enhanced connectivity, integrated growth across the port and shipping industry can be promoted—delivering stronger impetus for the sector’s green and digital transitions.
At the opening ceremony and main forum on the 27th, the “Joint Statement of the 2025 Maritime Silk Road Port and Shipping High-Level Roundtable Conference” and the “Vision for Multilateral Partnership Ports Cooperation” were successively released. Additionally, authoritative institutions such as the Waterborne Transport Research Institute of the Ministry of Transport, the Transport Planning and Research Institute of the Ministry of Transport, and the Shanghai International Shipping Institute, have respectively released the “Comprehensive Evaluation Report on World-Class Ports (2025)”, “Analysis Report on the Operation of Chinese Ports in 2024”, “Report on the Development of Multimodal Transport in China (2024)”, and “Global Port Development Report (2024)”
Additionally, during the academician discussion session, three foreign academicians, including Li Dehong, Kim Jae-hwan Zhang Junyi, shared their views and answered questions from the audience on the theme “Decoding the Future: Smart Technology Innovation and Green Low-Carbon Development”. During the port and shipping dialogue session, Li Yiming, Santiago Mira, Krishtov Kashmalek, Hans Gotham, and Paula Melandz, held discussions on the theme “Breaking the Current Deadlock: Digital Transformation and Sustainable Growth.”
Representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Transport, the Tianjin Municipality, and Zhejiang Province, relevant embassies and consulates in China, port and shipping management departments from countries and regions across all six continents, domestic and foreign shipping and logistics enterprises, universities and research consulting institutions, and leaders, guests, and media representatives from the upstream and downstream sectors of the port and shipping industry attended the forum.