by Xinhua writers Li Kun and Song Rui
TIANJIN, June 3 (Xinhua) -- As the international shipping industry faces rising unilateralism and protectionism, as well as geopolitical tensions, an expo in northern China has drawn over 400 exhibitors from home and abroad to explore ways to fortify global logistics, supply and industrial chains.
Running from Tuesday to Friday in the port city of Tianjin, the Fourth Tianjin International Shipping Industry Expo is held under the theme "Shipping to the World and Navigating towards the Future: AI Leads New Opportunities for the Development of Ports and Shipping."
Participants at the expo commended China's resilience in its shipping sector, claiming that its robust infrastructure, complete industrial system, technological innovation, and global reach are serving as a stabilizing force in the midst of volatility.
"We're seeing the world perhaps fracturing in recent years. China's role in this transformation is key," said Johannah Christensen, co-founder and chief executive officer of the Global Maritime Forum. "With nearly one fifth of the world's announced green shipping corridors, an ambitious policy environment, and leading much of today's zero-emission energy production, China is already one of the principal architects of a green future for maritime."
Li Xinghu, Chinese vice minister of transport, said at the expo that China has developed the world's largest port cluster. The country's port cargo throughput and container throughput have ranked first in the world for over 20 consecutive years. Chinese-owned shipowners operate a fleet with a total capacity exceeding 500 million deadweight tonnes, the largest in the world. China's share of international shipping volume accounts for nearly one-third of the global total, and its shipping service network now covers the entire globe.
A report released on Tuesday at the expo showed that in 2025, the added value of the port economy in China's coastal port cities reached 7 trillion yuan (about 1 trillion U.S. dollars), accounting for 13.6 percent of their total economic output.
Participants at the expo generally agreed that China's shipping resilience is built on the synergy of four factors, including robust infrastructure, a complete industrial system, technological innovation and a deep global footprint.
"This resilience not only ensures the stable development of China's foreign trade but also provides much-needed certainty for global supply chains amid turbulence," said Xu Kai, chief information officer of the Shanghai International Shipping Institute.
ROBUST INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING TIES
At the Zhenghe (Tianjin) Food Technology Industrial Park near Tianjin Port, containers of fresh food from the world, ranging from frozen South American grass-fed beef, Angus beef, purebred Wagyu to whiteleg shrimp just handled through the port, are swiftly distributed nationwide.
Bai Fubing, the company chairman, said that every month, imports from Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Australia and European countries arrive at the logistic park, and the company has established business ties with companies in 25 countries and regions.
That appetite for efficiency goes both ways. "China's convenient logistics, efficient customs clearance and strong shipping resilience have encouraged us to increase trade cooperation," said Juan Budano Roig, director of an Argentine meat processing company, Compañia Central Pampeana S.A., which has close ties with the Chinese company.
He said his plant's meat trade volume with the Chinese firm, which enjoys the convenience provided by Tianjin Port for shipping, has nearly doubled in five years, to nearly 20,000 tonnes.
Chinese customs data showed Tianjin Port imported 621,000 tonnes of meat in the first four months of this year, up 5.8 percent year on year, with a value of 16.55 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 20.5 percent. Imports from emerging markets such as Latin America saw strong growth.
The Chinese port clearance efficiency and logistics speed have given Chinese firms an edge in foreign trade, said Xing Yanling, president of the Tianjin Meat Association. "With overall logistics costs reduced by 10 to 20 percent on average, overseas customers are more willing to deepen cooperation, which helps deliver fresh food to Chinese dining tables."
Despite global trade uncertainties, Chinese ports sustained robust throughput growth. Official data show that in 2025, China's ports handled 18.34 billion tonnes of cargo and 350 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) of containers, up 4.2 percent and 6.8 percent year on year respectively.
China has emerged as the world's largest ship-owning nation, boasting the most valuable fleet of bulk carriers and container ships globally.
"In the context of geopolitical conflicts causing sharp fluctuations in the shipping market, China's fleet size provides a more reliable freight capacity," said Xu.
Waqas Samad, CEO of Lloyd's List Intelligence, echoed that view at the meeting. "With the world's largest fleet, and as the world's biggest shipbuilder and producer of shipping containers, China plays a key role in today's shipping landscape."
"More importantly, China represents something important about the future of shipping, not just the scale, not just infrastructure, but the combination of connectivity, technology and intelligence," he said.
EFFICIENCY THROUGH INTELLIGENCE
Some of the smart systems and technologies of Tianjin Port are on display at the expo, allowing visitors at the event to have a glimpse of the port's smart facilities. The port is home to the world's first smart zero-carbon terminal. At this terminal, crane operators handle cargo remotely from several hundred meters away while autonomous vehicles move containers across the yard.
With continuous technological upgrading, Tianjin Port has upheld its position among the world's top 10 in cargo throughput. In 2025, its container throughput surpassed 24 million TEUs, with over 150 shipping routes in service. Its automation rate of major equipment has exceeded 80 percent. The port has also developed an intelligent scheduling system that uses AI to analyze vessel trajectories, achieving 95 percent accuracy in arrival time predictions.
Zhang Jiang, deputy manager of the business department of the Tianjin Port Holdings Co., Ltd., said average transit times for vessels with capacity between 6,000 and 8,000 TEUs have been cut by 10.3 percent, with some routes now operating at world-leading efficiency.
Industry insiders attending the expo say Chinese smart port solutions provide replicable models for ports around the world.
"Ports are deploying automated cranes, autonomous yard vehicles, predictive logistics systems and real-time traffic optimization. China is also one of the leading players in these fields," said Samad from Lloyd's List Intelligence.
According to the Chinese Ministry of Transport, China has built 30 automated container terminals, representing 27 percent of the world's total, and 30 automated dry bulk terminals. The number of vessels powered by new and clean energy has already exceeded 1,200.
"It's been really interesting to see China pave the way on a lot of these technologies," Christensen said. "We're now seeing some of them actually spilling into the shipping sector."
Xu said that Shanghai Port's automated terminal technologies have been applied at over a dozen terminals at home and abroad.
He added that as the global shipping landscape undergoes profound changes, China must continue strengthening its role in rule-making, financial and insurance services, digital shipping ecosystems and global supply chain governance to contribute more Chinese solutions, wisdom and strength to global supply chain stability. ■
