NINGBO: The 2024 Maritime Silk Road Port Cooperation Forum convened in Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province, China, attracting over 1,600 participants from nearly 40 countries and regions.
Focused on the theme “enhancing port and shipping services and establishing an open and integrated hub along the Belt and Road,” the forum explored trendy topics in international port and shipping industry development.
Santiago Garcia-Mil, Deputy General Manager of the Barcelona Port Authority, highlighted how digitization and intelligent technologies can boost productivity, lower operational costs, and reduce carbon emissions by optimizing shipping times.
Ahmed Ouaouch, Chief Operating Officer of CMA CGM Asia Pacific, underscored the importance of cost-saving initiatives for ports aspiring to become global shipping hubs. He emphasized that cost-efficiency, productivity, and reliability will drive supply chain development in the years ahead.
Tao Chengbo, Chairman of Zhejiang Seaport Group and Ningbo Zhoushan Port Group, proposed enhancing Ningbo Zhoushan Port’s capacity and logistics services to bolster foreign trade and optimize port operations.
Chu Bin, Chairman of Tianjin Port (Group), highlighted Tianjin Port’s efforts in becoming a world-class smart and sustainable hub port, achieving over 120 records in cargo handling diversity over the past five years, with a container online handling rate exceeding 97 percent.
During the forum, three industry research reports, including the “Maritime Silk Road Port and Shipping Trade Development Report (Zhejiang – Southeast Asia),” were unveiled. The event also established an international friendly port cooperation mechanism involving 47 institutions from 29 countries and regions.
China Economic Information Service (CEIS) launched the “Blue Book on the Development of Ningbo Zhoushan International Shipping Center (2023),” focusing on Zhoushan’s efforts in building an international shipping center and analyzing key developments of 2023 in this sector.
