HONG KONG, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) -- The world's first intelligent research and training dual-purpose ship is making its debut visit to Hong Kong and open for admission as a highlight of the city's maritime week, which lasted through Saturday.

One may miss the chance to board it in person, since bookings for "Xin Hong Zhuan" were instantly full days ago. The vessel, built by COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry (Dalian) Co., Ltd. for Dalian Maritime University, a key maritime institution under China's Ministry of Transport, has become the latest darling of Hongkongers.

It's far more than ordinary people who are galvanized by the latest breakthroughs in maritime technology, but business insiders and experts, who know that with combined efforts from the government and industry, the sector is gaining traction among a growing number of Chinese, particularly a new generation of successors, through increasing input in maritime education.

This is especially crucial for Hong Kong as the city redefines its role in the shipping industry amid changing global dynamics and fierce industrial competition, trying to battle the brain drain and navigate a green shift.

At the World Maritime Merchants Forum (WMMF) 2024, which convened in Hong Kong on Monday, Xinhua reporters met with a forum volunteer surnamed Ho, also a maritime studies major at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and were intrigued by her stories as she eagerly recounted what she has learned from the forum.

Echoing the view of many participants at the forum, its fourth edition here in Hong Kong starting 2021, Ho said she noticed a much stronger call for bold actions on green transition in the maritime sector than ever before as "the clock is ticking on mandatory sustainability reporting."

Corporate responsibility on sustainability reporting has come closer into focus, transforming from a point of concern to a business imperative, and that rattles those along the shipping industrial and supply chains, insiders said.

"That's why we call it 'Maritime Merchants' and not just 'Maritime' forum," said Lothair Lam, WMMF chairman and general manager, noting that the forum mechanism is conducive to pooling resources and leveraging the role of the shipping sector as an important link along the value chain.

As the platform broadens, it is also expected to engage more businesses, boost cooperation and innovation across the industry and beyond, and jointly build a prosperous Hong Kong, Lam said.

Back in 2021, the nascent forum unfolded during the COVID-19 pandemic and at a time when many people were keenly concerned about the prospect of Hong Kong as an international shipping center, Wang Yongxin, president of China Merchants Energy Shipping Company Limited, also the organizer of the annual forum, told Xinhua.

"As a Chinese central state-owned enterprise based in Hong Kong, we believe that the more trying the times are, the more we need to bring China's voice and China's solution to the world," noted Wang. "This is why we started the forum in the first place.

In September 2022, China Merchants Energy Shipping Company Limited launched its supertanker "New Aden," with sail wings cutting fuel consumption by over 7.4 percent on average annually, and has been striving toward the dual carbon goal.

After the first edition wrapped up successfully online and offline with solid technical support from China's tech giant Tencent, the Transport and Logistics Bureau of the HKSAR offered to cohost the second edition, and starting from the third edition, the WMMF was incorporated into the Hong Kong Maritime Week as a flagship event, sharing the opening ceremony with the maritime week.

Themed "Navigating the Cycles," this year's forum tackles such critical topics as the role of ship finance in industrial transformation, the implications of new carbon-tax regulations and the transformative potential of artificial intelligence in driving digital change in shipping, sending a clear and compelling statement of humanity's commitment to sustainability.

"Over the years, the forum has increasingly emerged as a signature event promoting the global shipping industry chain," said Chan Kwok-ki, acting chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government, when addressing the opening ceremony of Hong Kong Maritime Week 2024 cum World Maritime Merchants Forum 2024.

As a gateway to Asia as well as one of the world's busiest and most efficient ports, Hong Kong has been adjusting itself to a plethora of new requirements in the maritime industry, and has been actively engaging regional and global partners in fueling a green shift.

The WMMF, coupled with the maritime week, is just one example and a calling card of Hong Kong's maritime endeavors. In June, the HKSAR government launched the Green Incentive Scheme, the first of its kind in the world that is Carbon Intensity Indicator-related. Last week, the HKSAR government promulgated the Action Plan on Green Maritime Fuel Bunkering, mapping out a clear roadmap to build Hong Kong into a high-quality green maritime fuel bunkering center.

"Talent is also critical to our future success. We will continue to invest in maritime service talent development, strengthening our collaboration with international marine insurance organizations. We will also expand the Maritime and Aviation Training Fund to cover more green energy courses and marine insurance examinations," Chan said.

Expecting more like-minded young people to join her, Ho believed, the WMMF is like a pier, from which her own career dream as well as the maritime vision of Hong Kong and beyond can set sail. Enditem

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