Press Release for Media Briefing of the Shanghai Municipal Government on October 17, 2025

2025.10.17

On the morning of today (October 17), a press briefing for the 2025 North Bund Forum was held. Gao Haiyun, second-level inspector of the Ministry of Transport’s Department of Waterway Transport, gave a briefing on the development of China’s shipping and aviation industry. Yu Fulin, director of the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Transport, outlined the development of the Shanghai International Shipping Center and the overall arrangements for the 2025 North Bund Forum. Chen Shuai, deputy chief of Shanghai’s Hongkou District, Liu Changman, vice president of Shanghai International Port (Group) Co Ltd, Chen Xueqiang, deputy Party Secretary of Shanghai Airport Authority, and Yang Zheng, general manager of China Classification Society (CCS) Shanghai Branch, attended the press briefing and answered questions from reporters.I.Looking back over the past year, despite a complex and challenging environment, China’s shipping and aviation industry has continued to forge ahead with resilience and vitality, achieving new progress in high-quality development.First, the maritime economy has maintained steady growth. China has ranked first globally in maritime connectivity for 19 consecutive years. In 2024, the country’s international shipping volume accounted for 31.3% of the global total. Both port cargo and container throughput have topped the world for many years, ensuring the smooth and orderly transport of key materials such as energy, grain, and minerals. In the first eight months of this year, national waterway freight reached 6.56 billion tons, up 3.8% year on year. Ports across the country handled 12.03 billion tons of cargo, a 4.4% increase, and approximately 230 million TEUs of containers, up 6.3% from a year earlier.Second, the capacity of the shipping infrastructure network has continued to improve. Construction of major water transport projects has gained momentum. The western section of Phase I of the Xiaoyangshan North Container Terminal has passed its halfway point, while the Pinglu Canal is now over 80% complete. Trunk waterways are being expanded and upgraded, with key projects such as the second phase of the Jingjiang section of the Yangtze River and the Nanning-Guigang section of the Xijiang River progressing rapidly. Preliminary work on the Three Gorges New Waterway Project is also advancing steadily. In the first eight months of this year, national investment in water transport construction reached 143.27 billion yuan, up 3.6% year on year, providing strong support for boosting domestic demand and sustaining economic growth.Third, the development of new quality productive forces in the shipping sector is accelerating. China continues to lead the world in smart port development, with 60 automated terminals now in operation. Smart waterway construction is also progressing rapidly, with electronic navigation charts covering more than 10,000 kilometers nationwide. The application of blockchain-based electronic port clearance and ocean shipping e-bills of lading is steadily expanding. The Implementation Opinions on “AI + Transportation” have been issued and put into practice, driving the rollout of innovative smart shipping scenarios. The use of shore power by vessels at ports has become largely standardized, with annual usage expected to exceed 200 million kWh. Meanwhile, a large-scale upgrade of transportation equipment is underway, accelerating the phase-out and replacement of aging vessels and promoting wider adoption of new and clean-energy ships.Fourth, the regulatory and policy framework supporting high-quality shipping development has been further strengthened. The revised Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on International Ocean Shipping provide stronger legal safeguards for ensuring national maritime security and sustainable development. New and updated departmental regulations have also been introduced, including the Regulations on the Safety Supervision and Administration of Ships Carrying Dangerous Goods and the Measures for the Administration of Shore Power for Ports and Ships. A comprehensive “1+1+N” policy framework has been established to guide the high-quality development of inland waterway shipping, and coordinated efforts to build a pilot zone for such development in the Yangtze River Delta are now underway.Fifth, openness and international cooperation in the shipping sector have continued to deepen. In April 2025, China signed a maritime transport agreement with Kuwait, bringing the total number of countries and regions with which it has concluded bilateral and multilateral maritime transport agreements to 70. The overall strength of the Shanghai International Shipping Center remains among the top three globally. China’s first shipping futures product has operated smoothly for two years, marking its second anniversary this year. The growing influence of platforms such as the North Bund Forum and China Maritime Day has further strengthened their role as key international exchange platforms for the global shipping community.Looking ahead, China’s shipping industry will continue advancing its transformation toward greater greenness and driving quality through innovation. It will remain a staunch supporter of global shipping cooperation, a committed practitioner of open development, and a firm defender of fair and orderly competition. The industry will work to build a modern shipping system that is smooth, efficient, green, smart, safe, resilient, and well-regulated, fully promoting high-quality development and accelerating the creation of a new chapter in water transport as part of China’s journey toward becoming a strong transportation nation.II.This year marks the final year of the 14th Five-Year Plan period. During the period, the Shanghai International Shipping Center has advanced from “basic completion” to “full completion,” firmly ranking among the world’s top three and achieving significant milestones along the way.First, steady progress has been made in building a world-class sea and air hub.For seaports, Shanghai Port has continued to consolidate its role as a global container hub. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, construction began on the Xiaoyangshan North Operation Area, the first phase of the Luojing Container Port Area entered operation, and the second phase of the public terminal at Lin-gang New City East Port Area was completed. In 2024, Shanghai Port handled 51.506 million TEUs, ranking first in the world for the 15th consecutive year and becoming the first port ever to surpass 50 million TEUs. In the first nine months of this year, container throughput reached 41.536 million TEUs, including 6.004 million TEUs in international transshipment, with all key operational indicators meeting expectations.With the commencement of the fourth phase of Pudong International Airport’s expansion and the development of Eastern Hub Shanghai East Railway Station, it will result in a large-scale integrated transportation hub that seamlessly connects national and urban rail networks, metro lines and airport express. In 2024, Shanghai Airport offered regular passenger and cargo flights to 291 destinations across 48 countries, with its cargo and mail throughput ranking second in the world. In the first nine months of this year, the two Shanghai airports recorded 627,900 flight movements, 100 million passenger trips, and 3.2869 million tons of cargo and mail throughput, representing year-on-year increases of 4.39%, 8.04%, and 6.72%, respectively.For cruise ports, China delivered its first domestically built large cruise ship, the Adora Magic City, in November 2023, which embarked on its maiden commercial voyage in January 2024. Huaxia International Cruise Line Co Ltd was established in Shanghai, and the first direct supply of provisions to cruise ships within a special customs supervision zone was successfully implemented. In the first nine months of this year, Shanghai Cruise Port received 225 international cruise ships and handled 1.5141 million cruise passengers, representing a nearly 45% year-on-year increase.Second, the soft power of shipping services continues to strengthen.In maritime arbitration, Shanghai has taken the lead in establishing a multi-tiered, comprehensive ad hoc arbitration system and corresponding rules. The issuance of the Regulation of the Shanghai Municipality on Promoting the Initiative for an International Commercial Arbitration Center has filled a domestic gap. In August 2024, the country’s first foreign-related ad hoc maritime arbitration case was adjudicated in Shanghai. Additionally, the first case combining “maritime mediation” with confirmation of “maritime arbitration” at the Port of Shanghai was successfully concluded. The Shanghai International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission and the Shanghai Arbitration Commission have also established overseas branches. In the shipping finance and insurance sector, SCFIS (Europe) futures were launched in August 2023, marking China’s first international shipping index futures. Its current average daily trading exceeds US$1.5 billion, placing it at the forefront of the global shipping derivatives market. Shanghai also saw the establishment of the China Green Ship Insurance Consortium. Meanwhile, the total tonnage covered by P&I insurance members of the China Shipowners Mutual Assurance Association surpassed 100 million tons.Third, green and smart shipping is accelerating its transformation.In green shipping, Shanghai Port’s LNG bunkering capacity continues to expand, and methanol bunkering has become routine, making it one of the few ports worldwide capable of ship-to-ship bunkering for both LNG and methanol. Yangshan Port has completed the full cycle of loading, unloading, storage, and bunkering for China’s first domestically produced green methanol fuel. Additionally, the Shanghai International Shipping Carbon Footprint Labeling Association has been established, becoming China’s first legal entity dedicated to developing a sustainable fuel certification system for international shipping.In smart shipping, the fully automated terminal at Yangshan Deepwater Port Phase IV is now operational, and the first phase of the Shanghai Port Smart Production Command Center has been completed. The shipping and trade digital platform has officially launched, and the blockchain infrastructure for the shipping hub is now in place. Nodes for the Yangtze River Economic Belt’s distributed collaborative data chain for intermodal transport have been established, with construction underway across 11 provinces and cities. Furthermore, Shanghai’s inland waterway electronic navigation chart is now interconnected with the Yangtze River system and the inland waterways of Jiangsu Province, enhancing integrated navigation and operational efficiency.The 2025 North Bund Forum is jointly hosted by the Ministry of Transport of the People’s Republic of China and the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government, and co-organized by the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Transport, the Shanghai Hongkou District People’s Government, China COSCO Shipping Corp Ltd, Shanghai International Port (Group) Co Ltd, Shanghai Airport Authority, China Eastern Air Holding Co Ltd, and the China Classification Society. The forum will take place from October 19 to 21 at the Grand Halls in North Bund, Hongkou District, Shanghai, under the theme “Collaborating for Sustainable Global Shipping & Aviation.”The forum will feature the Opening Ceremony and the International Green Shipping & Aviation Main Forum, alongside the International Shipping Forum and the International Aviation Forum, as well as four parallel forums: the Maritime Traffic Safety Forum, the Digitalization and Intelligentization Forum, the Judiciary and Arbitration Forum, and the Finance and Insurance Forum. More than 10 concurrent special events will also take place. The Opening Ceremony and Main Forum will include speeches by leaders of prominent international organizations and the release of a series of important findings. This year, the forum is expected to attract 4,000 participants from over 50 countries and regions across Europe, the Americas, Asia, Oceania, and Africa. The exchange of insights among experts in shipping and supply chain sectors across the forums will strongly advance the digital transformation, intelligent upgrades, and green, sustainable development of the global shipping and aviation industry.