Ningbo forum charts global course for sustainable port cooperation

The 2025 Maritime Silk Road Port Cooperation Forum in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, aims to foster a more resilient and sustainable global supply chain.

On May 26, the Multilateral Partnership Ports Cooperation Conference — an integral part of the 2025 Maritime Silk Road Port Cooperation Forum — was held at the Ningbo International Conference Center. With the theme "Deepening Port Collaboration for a Sustainable Global Supply Chain Community", the event gathered over 80 representatives from major global port authorities, shipping operators, and maritime research institutions.

Building on the inaugural 2024 conference, which introduced the Forum Consensus on Friendly Port Partnerships and a dedicated liaison mechanism, this year's meeting focused on practical cooperation and innovation. The partnership network has since expanded to include 57 institutions across 35 countries and regions.

Speakers from ports including Busan, Rotterdam, Eurogate, Gdansk, Antwerp-Bruges, Algeciras, Sihanoukville, Bursa, Westports, Vancouver, and Cotonou shared insights on shared challenges, such as global trade uncertainty and supply chain transformation.

Two key documents were central to this year's conference: the Partnership for Maritime Silk Road Ports and the Vision for Building a Sustainable Global Supply Chain Community (2025, Ningbo). Both texts were refined through extensive pre-conference consultation and finalized with unanimous support at the event.

The Partnership for Maritime Silk Road Ports emphasizes innovation, coordination, and green resilience, outlining frameworks for technological collaboration, route integration, and knowledge exchange. The Vision for Building a Sustainable Global Supply Chain Community (2025, Ningbo) proposes three action plans: enhancing resilient logistics networks, promoting digital interoperability, and accelerating the green transition.