National seafaring competition gets underway in Zhoushan

The opening ceremony of the fifth China Seafarer Skills Competition takes place at a stadium in Zhoushan, Zhejiang province on June 25. [Photo/zj.zjol.com] 

The fifth China Seafarer Skills Competition opened in Zhoushan, Zhejiang province on June 25, on the international Day of the Seafarer.

Thirteen teams representing shipping companies and 30 reams representing navigation colleges will participate in nine competitions during the four-day event.

Participants engage in a swimming competition at the Zhejiang International Maritime College on June 25. [Photo/zhoushan.cn]

Zhoushan has held the competition for four consecutive years, and the Ministry of Transport established a base for the event in Zhoushan in 2011. 

Co-hosted by the maritime affairs administration of the Ministry of Transport and the National Committee of the Chinese Seamen & Construction Workers' Union, this year's event is different from previous ones in that it received delegations from Singapore and the International Labor Organization for the first time. 

In addition, a series of sideline events were organized, including an investment fair to promote the city's maritime service industry. 

China has a well-developed shipping industry and is one of the world's biggest seaman exporters, with more than 700,000 registered seamen currently.

Zhoushan seafarers account for 60 percent of Zhejiang's total and 6 percent of the nation's total. 

The competition serves as a platform for Chinese seafarers to learn from each other and contribute to China's maritime development, organizers said.