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State Council News

28 Apr 2021

Apprentice School Expands to Offer Academic Degrees

(Photo: HII)

Huntington Ingalls Industries announced Wednesday that The Apprentice School at Newport News Shipbuilding was certified by the Council for Occupational Education to provide academic degrees in 26 educational programs.Starting in 2023, the school will grant associate degrees of applied science in maritime technology to apprentices who complete the required coursework and skills training, including maintenance electrician, marine designer, nuclear test technician, welding and modeling…

26 Jul 2020

The Apprentice School Approved as Higher Education Institution

The century-old Apprentice School was certified to operate as a postsecondary, degree-granting institution by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV). Photo by Matt Hildreth/HII

Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced that The Apprentice School at its Newport News Shipbuilding division has been approved by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to operate as a postsecondary institution. The certification gives the school the authority to grant academic degrees, further enhancing its national reputation as the model apprenticeship program.The school plans to grant associates of applied science degrees in maritime technology in 26 disciplines…

14 Jan 2020

China Tax Waiver for Cleaner Ship Fuel Exports

Copyright: Suriyapong/AdobeStock

China has approved a long-awaited tax waiver on exports of cleaner ship fuel, paving the way for refiners to boost output, though Beijing may initially limit shipments to focus on growing its coastal marine fuel market, state refiner officials say.Ships globally have switched to lower sulphur fuels, or use emissions-removing devices, to comply with new rules imposed by the International Maritime Organization this year.China's State Council, or cabinet, gave the go-ahead to waive taxes on the 0.5% or very low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO)…

21 Nov 2019

ICS Opens China Liaison Office in Hong Kong

The global trade association for shipowners and operators, International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) opened its China Liaison Office in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) on Tuesday, 21 November, during a reception hosted by the Hong Kong Shipowners Association.Liu Xiaoming, the Deputy Minister of Transport from the People’s Republic of China, Huang Liuquan, the Deputy Director of Hong Kong, Macau Affairs Office of State Council of the People’s Republic of China, and Frank Chan, Secretary for Transport and Housing Bureau of Hong Kong SAR were present to help oversee proceedings.On 20 November 2019, Mrs Carrie Lam, Chief…

24 Jan 2019

Cosco Shipping Buys 60% Stake Peru's Chancay Terminal

Global ports operator Cosco Shipping Ports acquiring 60% stake in Terminales Portuarios Chancay (Chancay Terminal) from Volcan Compañía Minera for a total consideration of US$225million.Zhang Wei, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Cosco Shipping Ports and  José Picasso, Chairman of Volcan signed the agreement on behalf of the two parties.The ceremony was witnessed by Mercedes Aráoz, Vice President of Peru,  Xiao Yaqing, Chairman of State-owned Asset Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, PRC, among others.Cosco Shipping Ports will partner with Volcan to build Chancay Terminal into an important gateway port in Peru.

19 May 2018

U.S., China Closer on Trade Pact

The United States and China agreed to take measures to reduce the U.S. trade deficit in goods by having China purchase more American goods - particularly agriculture and energy products, according to a joint statement the two nations released on Saturday. "There was a consensus on taking effective measures to substantially reduce the United States trade deficit in goods with China," the joint statement reads. "To meet the growing consumption needs of the Chinese people and the need for high-quality economic development, China will significantly increase purchases of United States goods and services. The statement concluded joint talks on Thursday and Friday between the two countries, which included several U.S. cabinet secretaries and China's State Council Vice Premier Liu He.

16 Apr 2018

China to Set up Hainan Free Trade Zone by 2020, Port by 2025

© alextan8 / Adobe Stock

China aims to establish a free trade zone in Hainan by 2020 and will encourage multinationals to set up their international and regional headquarters in the province, state news agency Xinhua reported citing a government document. The guidance was jointly issued by the ruling Communist Party and State Council, Xinhua said. It comes after President Xi Jinping announced on Friday that the country would grant foreign firms greater economic freedom in the southernmost province. Known for its sandy beaches and resort-lined coast…

26 Jan 2018

China Reveals “Polar Silk Road” in Arctic

China unveiled its ambitions to develop a "Polar Silk Road" through the Arctic, joining a multinational race to exploit opportunities in the resource-rich region, as the shipping lanes opened up by global warming. China said it would encourage enterprises to build infrastructure and conduct commercial trial voyages, paving the way for Arctic shipping routes, in its first official Arctic policy white paper. "China hopes to work with all parties to build a 'Polar Silk Road' through developing the Arctic shipping routes," the paper, issued by the State Council Information Office, said. According to various media reports,  China would work with Russia and other Arctic countries to develop the polar route.

29 Jun 2017

China’s Largest Box Ships Powered by ABB Turbochargers

Photo: ABB Turbochargers

ABB turbochargers are powering the main engines and auxiliary engines of the largest containership ever built in China, a 20,000 TEU vessel named COSCO Shipping Taurus, launched in June 2017. This first ship was built by Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co., Ltd (SWS) for delivery to COSCO Shipping Lines Co. Ltd, the world’s fourth largest container shipping company. A further ten vessels also for COSCO Shipping Lines will be applied with the same ABB turbocharger configuration. They will add to the company’s fleet of 311 containerships with a total capacity of 1.64 million TEU.

23 Sep 2016

Libyan Oil Port Takeover Gives Edge to Eastern Commander

Less than a fortnight after forces loyal to Khalifa Haftar swept into four of Libya's oil ports, tankers are loading, production has jumped, and momentum has shifted firmly in the divisive former general's favour. For Haftar's opponents, and for Western powers, the move on the ports was alarming. Haftar and his backers in eastern Libya have been in a stand-off for months with a unity government in Tripoli, blocking any parliamentary vote to endorse it and challenging the U.N.-mediated deal to unify Libya. How Haftar and his allies will use control of the country's major oil exports - whether to leverage political advantage under that U.N. deal, or to extend military control across Libya - is still uncertain. But risks to stability are clear.

05 Jan 2016

Xu Lirong to Head Merged Giant COSCO-CSG

The current chairman of China Shipping Group (CSG)  Xu Lirong handed top job at $74.7bn Beijing-backed merged entity of CSG and China Cosco Group. Xu Lirong has been appointed chairman of China Cosco Shipping Group, according to statements posted by the two groups on their websites Monday. Xu is a shipping veteran and served in senior positions at Cosco for more than 30 years before joining China Shipping (Group) as president in 2011. He was promoted to chairman in 2013. Xu' counterpart at Cosco, Ma Zehua, hits retirement age later this year and is expected to step down. Cosco Group Executive Vice President Wan Min will become president of China Cosco Shipping Group. China's State Council approved the establishment of China Cosco Shipping Group Ltd.

30 Dec 2015

Green Signal for Sinotrans-China Merchants Merger

China's cabinet on Tuesday (Dec 29) approved a deal that fuses two of the country's biggest state-owned transport and logistics firms, reports Reuters. China's cabinet has approved China Merchants Group's acquisition of Sinotrans & CSC Holdings Co, the state asset regulator said on Tuesday. Previously directly supervised by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC), Sinotrans & CSC Holdings is the biggest integrated logistics service provider with total asset of well over 100 billion yuan (16 billion U.S. dollars). Based in Hong Kong, China Merchants Group is a state-owned conglomerate with businesses in transportation, finance and real estate. By the end of 2014, its total asset stood at 624 billion (US$96 billion) yuan.

11 Dec 2015

China Okays Cosco, China Shipping Merger

China's State Council has approved a merger of the country's two biggest shipping conglomerates, China Ocean Shipping (Group) Company (COSCO) and China Shipping Group Co, the state asset supervisor said on its website on Friday. The combined entity would become the world's fourth-largest container shipper with a roughly 8.1 percent market share. That would be far behind AP Moeller - Maersk A/S, Mediterranean Shipping Co SA and CMA CGM SA. Premier Li Keqiang last week said the government would spend the next two years eliminating overcapacity, with long-term money-losing companies going "under the knife." Reporting by Beijing Monitoring Desk

11 Dec 2015

Cosco, China Shipping Merger Gets Green Signal from Beijing

China State Council has given the go-ahead for country's two largest shipping conglomerates to merge, continuing a trend in the industry to trim down state-owned enterprises, reports Caixin Media. The China Ocean Shipping Co. (COSCO Group) and China Shipping Group Co. have been working on a deal since August. The listed subsidiaries of the two firms are expected to make separate statements on their next step on December 11, the executive said. Meanwhile, WSJ reported that the shipping companies plan to issue details of their long-expected  multibillion-dollar merger plans as early as Friday, quoting people with knowledge of the matter.

13 Sep 2015

China Rolls Out International Undersea Cable with ASEAN, Plans Information Harbor

China is building its first international undersea cable that will carry information and data flow between the country and the ASEAN nations, says Xinhuanet. Its also setting up Information Harbor for the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. The government run China Unicom, one of the main telecommunications providers in the country, is cooperating with Myanmar's telecommunications operators to build the underwater cable, said Jiang Zhengxin, vice general manager of China United Telecommunications Corp, parent of China Unicom. China first proposed the Information Harbor initiative in September 2014. The initiative will include five cooperative platforms to benefit China and ASEAN members…

06 Jul 2015

Antwerp Joins “One Belt, One Road” Taskforce

“One Belt, One Road” is a Chinese development strategy launched at the end of 2013 that focuses on connectivity and cooperation among countries primarily in Eurasia. The strategy has two main components, namely the land-based “Silk Road Economic Belt” and the ocean-going “Maritime Silk Road.” Antwerp has a potentially very important role to play in both these routes as a major trading hub, and so the Port Authority is setting up a special taskforce for this purpose. The importance of this project for Europe can hardly be underestimated, and so during the recent state visit to China by king Philippe of Belgium the country applied to join the new Asian Infrastructure Development Bank, the investment bank behind the strategy.

13 Jun 2015

China Probes Executives of CSIC, COSCO

China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC) and China Ocean Shipping Company (Cosco) are being probed in China’s national anti-corruption scheme, according to a report in the Reuters. The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) has not named any company executives as targets for individual inspection. CCDI is the highest internal-control institution of the Communist Party of China (CPC). The watchdog did not name any executives as targets for individual inspection in its statement, but said it warned companies against transgressions such as nepotism, wasteful spending and improper bidding on contracts. However, IHS Maritime…

01 Jun 2015

Ship Carrying 458 People Sinks in Yangtze River

A passenger ship carrying 458 people sank in the Yangtze River in central China after encountering what the rescued captain said was a storm and strong winds, the government’s Xinhua News Agency reported. The ship, which departed from the eastern Chinese city Nanjing and is bound for Chongqing Municipality in southwest China, sank "within one or two minutes" after being caught in a cyclone, according to the ship's captain and chief engineer. The accident occurred at the Damazhou waterway in the middle reaches of Yangtze River, according to the Changjiang Maritime Safety Administration (MSA). The MSA and Changjiang Waterway have begun rescue the rescue mission and have saved eight people so far, including the captain and the chief engineer.

27 May 2015

China Builds-up Naval Power

China has outlined a first ever "white paper" on military strategy that outlined a more robust posture for its blue-water navy, and warned of threats to its security from "still smouldering" boundary disputes over land. The paper comes a day after an editorial (link in Chinese) in the state-run Chinese tabloid Global Times said conflict between China and the US will be unavoidable if the Washington doesn’t lay off Beijing for building islands and military facilities in disputed parts of the South China Sea. The white paper, released in Beijing by the State Council, or Cabinet, Information Office, is the first ever dedicated to China's military strategy, and the ninth defence paper issued by the People's Liberation Army.

15 Apr 2015

China Gets 40-Year Rights at Pakistani Port

China has been allowed operation rights for 40 years at a port in Gwadar, a planned deep-water harbor in Pakistan. This move will give China access to Gulf countries, and the possibility of building a naval base on the Arabian Sea in future, sources revealed. Chinese Overseas Port Holdings Ltd, a subsidiary of China State Construction Engineering Corporation under the State Council, has been granted the right to operate Gwadar for 40 years. Infrastructure construction is almost complete and the port could be put into complete usage by the end of the year, Dostain Khan Jamaldini, chairman of the Gwadar Port Authority, said. It could function as a vibrant economic hub connecting China and Pakistan.

04 Apr 2015

China - Malaysia New Ports on the Anvil

Malaysia and China will establish a series of cooperative projects in the future including railway, industrial parks as well as ports as part of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road (MSR) initiative, reports Bernama. Before the introduction of the MSR, China and ASEAN had been carrying out a series of cooperative projects together, including the twin parks namely Malaysia-China Kuantan Industrial Park and China-Malaysia Qinzhou Industrial Park, Liu Jinsong, Deputy Director-General of the Department of International Economic Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said. Last year, Chinese leaders repeatedly proposed making 2015 the year of ASEAN-China maritime cooperation.

01 Mar 2015

Crimea Nationalizes Cargo Port in Kerch

The Crimean State Council nationalized the Kerch-based cargo port Kamysh-Burun belonging to the Ukrainian financial-industrial group Altcom. According to Crimean Parliament, nationalization was necessary to the conservation and effective use of movable and immovable property, land plots located on the territory of the Republic of Crimea and ensuring smooth functioning of transport infrastructure. These measures were needed for the creation of safe and comfortable conditions associated with the provision of services in the field of transport, and also to prevent the occurrence of destructive situations in the Crimea. Recently, Crimean…

12 Feb 2015

China holds Maritime Silk Road seminar

A two-day international seminar on beefing up maritime trade infrastructure in Asia opened on Wednesday in southeast China's Quanzhou City in Fujian Province. Since Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road in his speech in the Indonesian parliament in October 2013, the initiative has drawn the attention of the international community. Over 280 academics and experts from 30 countries have been invited to discuss proposals to build a "21st Century Maritime Silk Road". The event is themed "collectively building the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road and creating a community of common destiny". It will involve three round table meetings covering the topics of "the values and significance of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road initiative"…