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June 1, 2024
2024 is a year full of mega events for Hong Kong as well as for the Transport and Logistics Bureau. You may notice that earlier this year, we have already hosted two major international aviation events - the IATA World Cargo Symposium 2024 and the ISTAT Asia 2024 conference. This week, Hong Kong just welcomed the first major international maritime event of the year - the Asian Shipowners' Association(ASA) International Shipping Forum 2024.
Global Shipping Organisations Representatives Gathered in Hong Kong
The Hong Kong Shipowners Association has always been a close partner of our Bureau, and the Chairman, Mr Angad Banga, is also the current President of the Asian Shipowners' Association. The ASA International Shipping Forum was held in Hong Kong for the first time with the Hong Kong Maritime and Port Board being one of the sponsor. Heavyweights from the global maritime industry were invited by the Hong Kong Shipowners Association to attend the forum, demonstrating the Association's excellent leadership skills and Hong Kong's established status as an international maritime centre.
Dignitaries from various international shipping organisations in attendance included the Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Mr Arsenio Dominguez; the Secretary General of the International Chamber of Shipping, Mr Guy Platten; the Chairman of the Association of Asian Classification Societies, Mr Arun Sharma; the Managing Director of the INTERTANKO, Ms Katharina Stanzel; the Vice Chairman of the INTRECARGO, Captain Uttam Jaiswal; the President of the Singapore Shipping Association, Ms Caroline Yang; the Head of Asia-Pacific of BIMCO, Mr Wei Zhuang, as well as delegations from various member regions of the Asian Shipowners' Association. These shipping industry leaders gathered in Hong Kong to put their heads together for the development of the industry.
Mr Arsenio Domingue, the Secretary General of the IMO, met with the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee upon his arrival. The IMO has 176 member states under the United Nations and my colleagues and I also had an in-depth with Mr Dominguez regarding how Hong Kong can further consolidate its position as an international maritime centre.
The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, met with the Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization, Mr Arsenio Dominguez on May 27.
My colleagues and I met with the Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization, Mr Arsenio Dominguez and the Secretary General of the International Chamber of Shipping, Mr Guy Platten respectively on May 28.
The forum themed "Asia Shipping, Greener Together", focused on the common sustainability challenges facing the global maritime industry. Asia is becoming the centre of the global trading industry following the shift of shipping route to the east, and the Asian maritime industry will play an indispensable role in the creation of a sustainable maritime industry.
This goal is also in line with the "Action Plan on Maritime and Port Development Strategy" promulgated by the Transport and Logistics Bureau last December, in which the key policies therein include developing Hong Kong into a green maritime fuel bunkering centre. We are conducting a comprehensive feasibility study on providing green fuel bunkering for local and ocean-going vessels, and will announce an action plan by this year to build bunkering facilities and supply chains, as well as take forward the preparatory work, including technical studies and installations, on providing liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering for ocean-going vessels.
The Marine Department will also provide an annual incentive of HKD20,000 to Hong Kong-registered ships that attained high rating under the international decarbonisation standards formulated by the IMO. Hong Kong will be a pioneer region supporting IMO’s green shipping policy on decarbonisation after the implementation of this measure by the first half of this year.
Asian Shipowners' Association International Shipping Forum 2024.
I would like to express my gratitude to the Hong Kong Shipowners Association for the successful organisation of the Asia Shipping Forum 2024. I would also like to share with you all that the 8th edition of "Hong Kong Maritime Week", a flagship annual event organised by the Hong Kong Maritime and Port Board - will be held from November 17 to 23 this year. I am pleased that Mr Guy Platten announced during his visit to Hong Kong that ICS plans to organise a high-level Global Maritime Trade Summit during the Hong Kong Maritime Week. The World Maritime Merchants Forum organised by the China Merchants Group will also be held during the Week. Luminaries of the international maritime industry will join hands and explore innovative strategies to address the pressing challenges facing the shipping industry, including the need to enhance efficiency, sustainability and resilience of global trade and shipping, and share their valuable insights to drive the development of the shipping industry.
The network for this year's Maritime Week will be significantly expanded. We are actively inviting over 1,000 local, overseas and mainland shipping-related companies and organisations to join us in the Maritime Week activities. We sincerely look forward to the presence of the global maritime community, and in addition to building a stronger global maritime industry together, I also invite all participants to see for themselves the beauty of Hong Kong as a city of mega events.