Shipping industry expo in China's Tianjin highlights closer cooperation

The third Tianjin International Shipping Industry Expo (TISIE) opened in north China's Tianjin Municipality on Thursday, attracting over 440 enterprises, ports and industry associations from around the world.

Titled "Shipping to the world and navigating towards the future, Meet new opportunities for openness and cooperation," the three-day expo features nine themed exhibition zones covering international ports, green shipping, maritime equipment, logistics services and more, spanning 50,000 square meters.

Over 20 parallel events will spotlight China's shipping achievements and global industry trends.

The TISIE has been held in Tianjin every year since 2023, aiming to boost global shipping cooperation, industrial investment and trade exchange.

"The shipping industry -- the backbone of global trade -- faces twin challenges: relentless supply chain disruptions and unyielding need to decarbonize. We must deepen partnerships -- between carriers, ports and governments -- to create shared contingency plans. I very much applaud the fact that Tianjin takes up its role as a community builder," Jan Van der Borght, port representative of the Antwerp-Bruges Port Authority, told Xinhua.

Mangopo Mikhael, director of Indonesian marine surveying firm Geovaruna, expressed admiration for China's rapid progress: "China's breakthroughs in smart and green shipping technologies are remarkable. We look forward to expanding partnerships with Chinese counterparts."

China maintained its position as the world's largest port operator by cargo and container throughput in 2024. Its ocean-going fleet continues to expand, with international routes extending farther, according to the China Association of the National Shipbuilding Industry.

From January to April 2024, Chinese shipbuilders accounted for 49.9 percent of global output, 67.6 percent of new orders, and 64.3 percent of backlog orders in terms of dead-weight tonnage.

The country's logistics sector has also shown robust growth. The index tracking China's logistics market was at 50.6 percent in May, indicating sustained expansion and resilient supply chains, according to the China Federation of Logistics & Purchasing (CFLP).

"As an organization bridging government, industry and enterprises, CFLP is committed to bolstering the resilience of global industrial and supply chains," said Yang Guodong, vice president of CFLP.

Guo Dacheng, president of the China Association of the National Shipbuilding Industry, said that the expo presents frontier technologies, innovative products and advanced concepts that will chart the course of the future of shipping and shipbuilding.

Li Yang, China's vice minister of transport, stressed the need to deepen global collaboration in addressing shared challenges such as supply chain resilience, maritime safety and the green transition.

"China will actively participate in global shipping governance under multilateral frameworks like the International Maritime Organization, contributing to rule-making and maintaining the order of international shipping," Li said. ■