Maritime London, the UK’s industry-led body for maritime professional services, hosted the inaugural UK-China Shipping Forum on 4 December at Shanghai’s Jinmao Tower as part of Pudong International Shipping Week 2025. The event brought together senior figures from across the global maritime sector for wide-ranging discussions on regulation, trade, technology and decarbonisation, and marked a strengthened presence for the Baltic in China.

Organised in partnership with Silverstream Technologies and supported by the UK Department for Business & Trade, Beyond Shipping, the China Shipping Association of London and Xinde Marine, the forum explored how the sector is adapting to increasingly complex commercial and regulatory pressures. Maritime London Chief Executive Jos Standerwick said the day served as “a physical example of how China and the UK can collaborate” at a time when the industry is navigating both uncertainty and opportunity.

Following welcoming remarks from Henry Oliver of the UK Department for Business & Trade, Ms Liu Xiaodan of the Shanghai Pudong New Area Commission of Commerce delivered the opening address. Presentations from Xu Chen of Xinhua Indices and Mark Assaf of UNCTAD provided insights into international shipping centre competitiveness and the newly released Maritime Transport Report 2025.

The Baltic featured prominently, with Jin Yu Cheong, Head of Baltic Asia, joining Jos Standerwick, Mark Assaf, Janice Lee of Hill Dickinson and Vineet Puri of Citi on the panel “Navigating regulatory and trade uncertainties”. The group examined how freight markets, contracts, maritime labour and vessel financing are adjusting to rapid regulatory and geopolitical shifts, highlighting the Baltic’s role in providing trusted benchmarks and market insight in uncertain conditions.

The second session, moderated by former ICS Secretary General Guy Platten, focused on the role of Energy Efficiency Technologies in the transition to alternative fuels. Silverstream CEO Noah Silberschmidt outlined how the company’s air lubrication system is generating independently verified efficiency gains and extended commercial life for vessels.

The forum concluded with a networking reception overlooking the Shanghai skyline.

Beyond the forum, the Baltic continued to make its presence felt in Shanghai. At the invitation of Guotai Futures, Ying Sun, Assistant to the Baltic Chief Representative, delivered a presentation at the company’s FFA event during Pudong Maritime Week, addressing an audience of around 100 market participants. The session offered an opportunity to provide an update on the Baltic’s indices and growing role in the Asia-Pacific market. 

Together, these engagements highlight the Baltic’s deepening ties with China’s maritime community and its commitment to supporting transparent, data-driven markets across the global shipping ecosystem.