Silk Road Maritime Association offers solutions for global shipping sector

The 6th Silk Road Maritime International Cooperation Forum. (Photo: Courtesy of Silk Road Maritime Association)

The Silk Road Maritime Association (SRMA), based in East China's Fujian Province, unveiled its achievements in exploring the global sea shipping market as well as its development strategies, during an industry forum over the weekend, as participating foreign officials said that China's leading capability in the sector will help them build their own logistics networks.

During the 6th Silk Road Maritimes International Cooperation Forum held from Saturday to Sunday, the SRMA unveiled the 14th batch of sea shipment routes that it had named. The overseas ports of Greece's Piraeus Port and the UAE's Abu Dhabi Port were among the first routes to be named.

"The Belt and Road Initiative [BRI] has already proven to be a cornerstone of China-Serbia cooperation, and the future is filled with potential for continued growth," Danijel Nikolic, assistant secretary-general of the government of the Republic of Serbia, told the Global Times during the forum. He noted that the forum offers a unique platform to enhance robust bilateral ties between Serbia and China, particularly in the fields of trade and logistics.

As China's first maritime shipment-centered international logistics services platform under the BRI, set up six years ago, the SRMA now boasts a total of 132 name-bearing sea shipment routes, connecting 145 sea ports across 46 countries and regions, consisting of more than 340 members.

The Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority became a member of the SRMA in 2023. Mark Kofi Cobblah, director of the Public Enterprises Secretariat under Ghana's Ministry of Public Enterprises, told the Global Times that by joining the association, Ghana seeks to enhance its connectivity and make its maritime network denser.

Just like the China-proposed BRI, Africa has also launched a Pan-African vision named the African Continental Free Trade Agreement with its headquarters based in Accra, Ghana. Cobblah noted that the initiative can only be pushed forward with sound infrastructure and trade connectivity, and China's leading ports and shipping industry may provide effective facilitation.