Xiamen – September 12, 2026 -- The 8th Silk Road Maritime International Cooperation Forum opened in Xiamen, East China's Fujian Province, drawing more than 1,800 representatives from 19 countries and regions to address geopolitical risk and supply chain fragmentation in global shipping.
Forum unveils 12 new shipping routes and 11 signed cooperation projects
Organizers announced 12 new Silk Road Maritime routes, welcomed 15 new association members, and finalized 11 cooperation projects on-site. The Silk Road Maritime network, launched in Fujian in 2018 as the Belt and Road Initiative's first comprehensive maritime logistics platform, now spans 160 shipping routes connecting 153 ports across 50 countries and regions, with 393 members spanning shipping, energy, manufacturing and internet sectors.
China Meteorological Administration launches Arctic sea-ice forecasting service
The China Meteorological Administration and the Silk Road Maritime Association jointly launched an Arctic route meteorological routing service using Fengyun satellites and AI algorithms to deliver 15-day sea-ice forecasts and polar cyclone monitoring for polar navigation.
Fujian Provincial Port Group deploys AI risk agent covering 58 ports
Fujian Provincial Port Group Co., the forum's organizer, partnered with the Xiamen meteorological bureau to build an AI-powered port meteorological risk intelligent agent covering 58 Chinese and foreign ports. Chairperson Chen Zhiping said the system tracks risk levels, typhoon proximity and port open/closed status in real time, calling it "the first of its kind internationally" and reducing coordination costs across shipping, trade and insurance sectors. The group plans to expand the tool to more Belt and Road Initiative ports.
New Hunan-Fujian corridor cuts logistics costs by up to 30%
The forum launched the Hunan-Fujian Silk Road Maritime sea-rail intermodal corridor, designed to connect inland China with coastal seaports. The corridor is expected to cut logistics costs by 20 to 30 percent and shorten transport times by five to seven days for central China exporters.
Officials from Jamaica and Nigeria seek deeper supply chain ties with China
Jamaica's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Johnson Smith highlighted China's role in strengthening international supply chain resilience through multilateral trade cooperation. Nigeria's Permanent Secretary Chris Osa Isokpunwu said the Silk Road Maritime framework aligns with Nigeria's development goals, citing interest in workforce technical training and investment attraction.
Antwerp-Bruges Port Authority representative Jan Van der Borght said China's AI and intelligent-driven technologies are set to expand into European markets, pushing European ports toward faster digitalization to sustain China-Europe trade flows.
The World Trade Organization's Zhang Ruosi and UN ESCAP's Ren Weimin both warned that trade fragmentation and geopolitical crises are increasing route-planning risks, transport times and logistics costs across Asia-Pacific maritime corridors. The forum also released a blue book on Silk Road Maritime for 2025-2026 and a port-shipping development support policy covering 2026-2028.