As China celebrates the 21st Maritime Day on Friday, the country is setting its sights on a greener, smarter, and more globally connected maritime future, officials and experts said at a news conference in Boao, Hainan province, on Thursday.

This year's theme, "Green Shipping, Striving for a New Chapter", marks both the 20th anniversary of China Maritime Day and the 620th anniversary of famed navigator Zheng He's first voyage to the western seas. Since its official designation by the State Council in 2005, China Maritime Day has grown into a national platform for promoting the development of the shipping industry, maritime culture, and international cooperation, Li Shixin, executive vice-president of the China Institute of Navigation, said on Thursday.

At the news briefing in Boao, officials previewed more than 20 themed events. Highlights include a main forum, five sub-forums, and five parallel sessions covering hot topics such as smart navigation, maritime finance and insurance, yacht safety, and youth innovation in shipping technology.

During the main forum, a short documentary titled "Towards a Maritime Power: A 20-Year Journey of China Maritime Day" will be screened. Key reports and honors will also be released, including the 2024 China Shipping Development Report, a list of safe and trustworthy shipping companies, model maritime workers, and recipients of national maritime science and technology awards.

Li noted that China's shipping capacity has grown significantly over the past two decades.

"Our fleet now ranks among the world's largest, and our ports continue to hit new records. China is a true global shipping hub," he said.

A key focus this year is green development. According to Feng Yue, deputy director of China Waterborne Transport Research Institute under the Ministry of Transport, China is moving quickly to adopt clean energy in inland shipping.

"China started using clean energy for inland vessels relatively early. Now we have over 600 LNG-powered ships and nearly 500 electric vessels, mainly for river transport," Feng said.

"Electric ships in particular have developed fast in China, reaching world-leading levels in both scale and technology."