The International Chamber of Shipping’s (ICS) Chairman Emanuele Grimaldi met with China Shipowners’ Association (CSA) in Shanghai to enhance collaboration between the ICS and China.
• Emanuele Grimaldi also met with high-ranking Shanghai government officials to discuss topics at the top of China’s shipping agenda.
• The meetings signify a new era of collaboration to address the shipping industry’s collective challenges, building on the already strong relationships between ICS and China.

The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) Chairman Emanuele Grimaldi met with Mr Feng Bo, the Executive Vice President of COSCO Shipping, who received the ICS delegation on behalf of China Shipowners’ Association (CSA), to pave the way forward for a closer working relationship between the ICS and China.

On Monday 3 April, Emanuele Grimaldi met with Mr Feng Bo, along with new ICS Board Director of China and Chairman of COSCO Bulk Mr Gu Jinsong, Executive Vice-President of CSA Mr. Zhang Shouguo and other representatives from CSA to determine how the ICS and
CSA can work together to strengthen global ties. They discussed the key challenges China’s shipping industry is addressing, including decarbonisation, digitalisation, stability of the international supply chain industry, seafarer welfare, recruitment and training.

On the same day, Emanuele Grimaldi met with two high-ranking Shanghai officials, Mr Chen Jining, Member of Chinese Communist Party Political Bureau and Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party Shanghai Standing Committee, and Mr Chen Tong, Member of the Chinese Communist Party Shanghai Standing Committee and President of Shanghai Overseas Friendship Association. The meetings focused on China’s vision for decarbonisation and digitalisation of the shipping industry, free trade and globalisation, and strengthening Shanghai’s future collaboration with ICS.

China is a major shipping nation, and these meetings signify a new era of collaboration between the global shipping industry and China.

During these meetings Emanuele Grimaldi was also joined by an ICS delegation of senior ICS representatives including Secretary General Guy Platten, Deputy Secretary General Simon Bennett, and Edward Liu, Principal Representative ICS (China) Liaison Office.

ICS Chairman Emanuele Grimaldi said:

“My meetings this week help the whole of the ICS gain a deeper understanding of China’s great shipping industry, and I look forward to our close collaboration with the CSA going forwards. I extend my thanks to the CSA for their kind hospitality and fruitful discussions.“Our industry is a global one and so our challenges. Decarbonisation to seafarer recruitment and welfare are impacting everyone within shipping, so we must work together as an industry to find solutions.”Whilst in China the ICS delegation was also received by the Vice Major of Shanghai Municipal Government Ms. Guo Fang, and paid visits to the China Classification Society Shanghai Branch, International Maritime Organization Maritime Technology Cooperation Centre Asia, China P&I Club. The ICS welcomed the CSA to full membership on 1 January 2023 in a move that reconfirmed ICS role as the voice of the global shipping industry. The CSA also joined the ICS Board, which oversees the policy positions ICS presents on behalf of shipowner’s worldwide.