During the first China International Import Expo(CIIE), China State Ship building Corporation(CSSC) signed a contract with Carnival Cruise from USA and Fincantieri from Italy on cooperative design and construction of 2+4 large cruise ships at the Vista class of 135,000 tons.The contract came into effect and the launching ceremony was held at the Melia Grand Hotel at Hongqiao.This is the first large-scale cruise building contract signed by a Chinese shipbuilder.The signing of this contract marks that CSSC’s large cruise project has entered the formal implementation, which will promote China's shipbuilding industry to a new height and achieve high-quality development.
Miao Wei, Minister of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) of the People's Republic of China, announced the project. Guests from relevant companies and financial institutions were also present at the ceremony, including Shen Ying, Deputy Director of State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC), Xiao Guiyu, Deputy Director of the Standing Committee of Shanghai Municipal People's Congress, Lei Fanpei, Chairman of CSSC, Chen Mingbo, Chairman of Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization, Wang Hong, Secretary of Baoshan District Committee of Shanghai, Fan Shaojun, District Governor of Baoshan, Gao Zefeng, Deputy General Manager of Transportation and Financing Divisionat the Export-Import Bank of China, CEO of Carnival Group and Fincantieri Group, Sun Feng, Vice President of China Classification Society, Alastair Marsh, CEO of Lloyd’s Register of Shipping, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Finance, the Export-Import Bank of China, CSSC, the State Owned Bank of Italy, Carnival Group and Fincantieri Group.
The launch ceremony officially marked that the first large cruise with world-class technology landed in Shanghai, which means Shanghai’s shipbuilding industry has entered the large cruise stage. As a gathering place of national marine industries, Shanghai will make every effort to conquer the key technology of large cruise design and construction, break through the cruise industry chain, promote the high-quality development of shipping industry, and improve the upgrade of the whole industrial supporting system, which will make contributions to the brand of "Made in Shanghai" and the construction of science and technology innovation centers with global influence.
