Participants of Summer 2019 China Merchants C Blue Training Program Voyage

Attend a Series of  Belt and Road Thematic Forums‍‍

The 5th China Merchants C Blue Training Program (“C Blue”) Voyage, which has 21 participants from 11 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa and South America, held its opening ceremony in Dalian Maritime University on 11 April. The C Blue program was sponsored by China Merchants Charitable Foundation and jointly organized by China Merchants Port Group Holdings Company Limited (“CMPG”), Transport Management Institute Ministry of Transport of the P. R. China (“Transport Management Institute"), and Dalian Maritime University.

At the opening ceremony held by Dalian Maritime University, Zhou Qinghong, Deputy General Manager of China Merchants Port Holdings Company Limited (“CMPort”) stated in his speech: “The C Blue Training Program is aimed at creating opportunities for countries along the 'Belt and Road' to learn about China's leading-edge management systems and practical experience as well as explore effective solutions for current problems of world and regional economy and experience traditional Chinese culture and China's vigorous social and economic development, cultivating friendship, planting hope and strengthening cooperation on this vast land."

As an important part of the C Blue, on April 22nd, the Thematic Forum on Port Development and Evaluation Under on port development and thinking exchange under the “Belt and Road” Initiative was held by Transport Management Institute in Beijing. At the forum, C Blue participants directly and freely exchanged ideas and discussions with leading cadres in China's port and shipping industry, and they also had a deeper understanding of such a broad topic of the “Belt and Road” Initiative.

On April 24, Jiang Mingbao, Chief Engineer of the Ministry of Transport of P. R. China, accompanied with Huang Chuanjing, Deputy General Manager of CMPG, and other leaders, met with all the C Blue participants at the Ministry of Transport of P. R. China. Jiang Mingbao introduced the process and prospects for development of transportation in China and countries along the “Belt and Road” under the framework of the “Belt and Road” Initiative.

Jiang Mingbao pointed out that the Ministry of Transport of P. R. China had always responded positively to the “Belt and Road” Initiative and hoped to share transportation development experience with countries along the “Belt and Road”, to explore countermeasures and jointly create a win-win cooperation system for communications and transportation. He also said that C Blue had provided new platforms and opportunities for interactions between China and countries along the “Belt and Road”.

25 April 2019, on the occasion of the 2nd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, Niyaz Shamsudeen from Sri Lanka Customs, Yann Magarian from TICT, Nigeria, and Erman Abat from Kumport, Turkey, were invited to attend the thematic forum on "Safe and smooth, intelligent and efficient " of the 2nd Belt and Road Forums for International Cooperation. Fu Gangfeng, General Manager of China Merchants Group, also cordially met with the three C Blue participants at the forum.

After the thematic forum ended, they shared the wonderful speeches and opinions with other C Blue participants and brought back the positive signals of friendly cooperation delivered by the forum. They said that they would be willing to become friendly messengers in promoting transportation cooperation, and to contribute to the friendship between China and their countries.

Yann Magarian said that during his trip to China, he had a better understanding on the “Belt and Road” Initiative and related cooperation and development concepts. The activities under the “Belt and Road” Initiative would help establish closer links between countries and peoples.

During nearly-one-month program of C Blue, as well as exchanging discussions with Chinese port aviation experts, the participants visited Liaoning Port Group Company Limited, China’s Maritime Satellite Organization, the research and development center of BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, Shekou Container Terminal of CMPG, and etc. The various C Blue activities enabled participants to get tremendous benefits in the limited time.

2019 C Blue opening ceremony

Fu Gangfeng with C Blue participants

Zhou Qinghong delivers a speech at the C Blue opening Ceremony

Group photo at the Minstry of Transportation of PRC

Thematic Forum on Port Development and Evaluation Under on port development and thinking exchange under the “Belt and Road” Initiative