On these days, more than 20 ship owners from Greece, the Netherlands, Cyprus and other European countries, with nearly 400 shipping assets, came to Pudong Lujiazui to participate in the 3rd Capital Link International Shipping Forum (China) and local Pudong Shipping finance companies carry out docking of capital projects and seek opportunities for investment development and cooperation in the Shanghai Free Trade Zone.

Europe is the birthplace of the world's major seafaring, and it is also one of the highly concentrated areas of global ocean transportation today. For example, Greece is the world's largest ship owner. At present, the number of registered shipping companies is 597. The total fleet size is 387.3 million DWT, and the value of ships owned exceeds 100 billion US dollars, accounting for 19% of the total value of global ships. The Greek historian Herodotus once summed up the inheritance of the Greek shipping industry as "When we have ships sailing at sea, we will always have hometowns."

Since ancient times, China and Greece have had close trade exchanges. Now under the "One Belt and One Road" initiative, the two sides have further strengthened their interaction and understanding. China continues to increase investment in the Greek port industry. The COSCO Shipping Group, headquartered in Pudong, acquired a 67% stake in Piraeus Port, Athens, Greece in 2016, laying the foundation for building a major trade route that spans Central Europe, Asia and Europe.

Since 2017, the world shipping market has gradually recovered from the downturn. The integration of shipowners and the growth of fleet capacity are showing the fastest growth in 20 years. The biggest problem faced by foreign shipowners is ship financing.

This time, the eyes of the owners of Greece and Europe once again invested in Pudong, Shanghai. Pudong has always been at the forefront of development and opening up in China, carrying major national strategies such as the Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone, international shipping centers, and core functional areas of financial centers, and is committed to creating a legal, international, and facilitative business environment. We will continue to increase the level of trade and investment facilitation, increase the opening up of the service industry, and promote the openness and innovation of the financial sector. We will initially form a soft environment for development that is in line with international rules. In terms of financial leasing, in particular, it continued to improve the supporting policies and institutional environment for the development of the financial leasing industry, taking the leasing of vessels and aircrafts as the starting point and focus, accelerating the construction of the financial leasing asset trading platform in the Pilot Free Trade Zone, and promoting the establishment of controllable risks. Healthy development of shipping factor market.

Financing leasing has become a “new force” for ship financing, a financing lease that has the dual attributes of financing and financing, and effectively docks financial capital with industry, playing a unique role in the transformation and development of shipbuilding industry and shipping industry. It is understood that during this visit to Pudong, the goal of the European shipowner’s delegation is aimed at domestic banks and financial leasing companies and hopes to achieve substantive cooperation projects.

“Pudong will benchmark the highest international standards and best standards, strengthen the business environment, and adopt a more open and inclusive concept, and actively participate in international economic cooperation, in the process of 'going global' for domestic shipping companies and 'bringing in' foreign shipping companies. We will give full play to the role of bridgehead and bonds," said Chen Xi, deputy head of Pudong New Area. At present, Shanghai is making every effort to build the four brands of “Shanghai Service, Shanghai Shopping, Shanghai Manufacturing, and Shanghai Culture”. Pudong is the core bearing area, focusing on promoting a number of actions to enhance the core functions of shipping and creating the “Pudong Brand” of the International Shipping Forum. To introduce or cultivate a group of shipping forum activities with industry influence, industry driving force, and regional radiation power, highlighting the advantages of the free trade zone and the attraction, innovation and competitiveness of Pudong.

At this forum, Pudong Shipping Office will sign a strategic cooperation memorandum with the forum organizer Capital Link. Capital Link is an internationally renowned financial consulting company. The Capital Link International Shipping Forum sponsored has operated for more than 20 years and has formed a strong professional branding effect on a global scale. Held every year in New York, London, Athens, Oslo, Singapore and other cities, they can attract nearly 1,000 participants in the industry.

Nicolas Bornozis, president of Capital Link, stated that China has always been the locomotive of global shipping and that Shanghai and Pudong have become major hubs of the global shipping industry. Many ship owners are aware that the future belongs to China and wants to enter the Pudong market. This is why the Capital Link Forum chose Pudong. According to the memorandum of strategic cooperation, Pudong will establish a long-term cooperation mechanism with the capital link. The capital link forum brand will be held annually in Pudong to create a service platform for international shipping capital docking. It will strive to become a foreign shipping company to enter China and domestic shipping companies to go international The bridgehead