2nd World Maritime Merchants Forum held in Hong Kong to discuss global shipping challenges, opportunities

HONG KONG, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Second World Maritime Merchants Forum kicked off here Tuesday, focusing on challenges and opportunities for developing shipping industry in this era of great changes and integration of resources.

Under the theme of "Together for a brighter future," the two-day forum aims to explore how to achieve mutual learning, complementary advantages, mutually beneficial cooperation and a new global shipping industry ecology in the industrial chain which is influenced by many factors including repeated waves of the pandemic, political disturbances, and economic slowdowns.

"As we are gathered at this forum, the COVID-19 epidemic remains a challenge, the geopolitical situation uncertain, and the global economy under stress. But I believe Hong Kong has one of the best neighborhoods, the continued reforms and opening up of the Chinese mainland being a major factor," said Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Leung Chun-ying.

He said that going forward, Hong Kong should continue to develop its competitive advantages in shipping resources, innovate service models, and enhance value-addedness, to maintain the leadership in industrial development.

John Lee, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), said at the forum that the central government has been clearly supporting Hong Kong's position as an international shipping center in the National 14th Five-Year Plan and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area development plan.

"The HKSAR government will continue to proactively entrench Hong Kong's strengths by further developing our high value-added maritime services," he said.

In his video speech, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Transport Dai Dongchang said that the shipping industry is an important support for Hong Kong's long-term prosperity and stability.

The Ministry of Transport supports Hong Kong in leveraging its strengths in professional services and talent reserves that are fully in line with international standards to consolidate its position as an international shipping center.

Yin Zonghua, deputy director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR, said at the forum that as long as Hong Kong makes good use of the central government's support policies, firmly grasps the strategic opportunities of national development and the historical trend of economic globalization, continues to optimize the business environment, and continuously enhances its attractiveness, the international shipping center can do even better.

Miao Jianmin, chairman of China Merchants Group, said at the forum that the global shipping industry should take the direction of openness, sharing, greenness and intelligence to build an inclusive shipping ecology.

He also suggested that the global shipping industry should optimize the shipping industry chain and take the initiative to shoulder the mission and responsibility of stabilizing the global supply chain, so as to cope with changes in the shipping cycle and look for new opportunities for the development of shipping industry in the process of restructuring the global supply chain.