Webinar: “Chinese Investments in Maritime Ports – Poland in Global Perspective”
On May 15th an online seminar will take place, titled Chinese Investments in Maritime Ports – Poland in Global Perspective. The event is organized by organized by Asia and Pacific Research Centre (IPS, PAS) and Asia Study Centre (War Studies University).
Maritime ports are an important part of the bloodstream of global trade and logistics. Over the past decade, China has become a key global investor and port operator. Its growing interest in Poland’s ports included the participation of Chinese companies in a tender for the lease of land in the western part of the Port of Gdynia for a container transshipment terminal and offshore wind farm components. The Polish government is in turn progressing with new works on certain projects and issuing new strategic documents on directions of intermodal transport development are taking place, which will be in line with the EU’s guidelines (e.g. TEN-T).
The series of expert discussions aim to bring to experts and public opinion a wider context of China’s investment activity in Poland’s and international ports, with its significance for economic cooperation and security. The analysis of the outcome for different ports can accelerate discussion about the possible scenarios for Poland, especially in the context of the forthcoming new ports strategy paper.
I. part titled Chinese Investments in Maritime Ports – A Global Overview will begin at 9:30 AM CEST.
This panel aims to outline international experience with Chinese investments in ports. It will provide insight into past and ongoing situations. Among the leading agents are state-owned enterprises China Merchants Port Holdings and COSCO Shipping, which operate 36 ports around the world. Apart from CMPH and COSCO, other companies operating worldwide include Shanghai International Port Group (SIPG), which invested in Haifa. The case studies can align into a review of the results for the investor and the port, therefore combining the experience from various countries.
Experts:
Shin Kawashima (University of Tokyo)
Richard Griffiths (University of Leiden)
Ehud Gonen (University of Haifa)
Moderator:
Katarzyna Golik (IPS Polish Academy of Sciences)
II. part titled China and the International Maritime Ports – Cooperation and Security Challenges will begin at 1:00 PM CEST.
The tension between the economic reality and security challenges can be well observed in the context of port investments. The overlapping dimensions are economic cooperation and. security of the critical infrastructure, especially in the context of the rapid digital transformation of port logistics. The latter might become an issue in the context of NATO’s Host Nation Support and EU’s Military Mobility. The discussion will be focusing predominantly on the EU’s ports, like Rotterdam or Antwerp.
Experts:
Alicia García Herrero (Natixis/Bruegel)
Frans-Paul van der Putten (ChinaGeopolitics)
Tim Rühlig (German Council on Foreign Relations)
Vincent De Saedeleer (Yoonly)
Ehud Gonen (University of Haifa)
Moderator:
Katarzyna Golik (IPS Polish Academy of Sciences)