On Nov. 18, Yantian District, Shenzhen University and the China Shipowners’ Association (CSA) signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement to deepen collaboration across the maritime sector and accelerate the upgrading of Yantian’s shipping cluster.

The agreement targets frontier maritime areas and commits the three parties to joint work on shipping industry development, maritime technology incubation, industry standards, and talent cultivation and recruitment.

Officials said the partnership aims to bolster Yantian’s role in Shenzhen’s plan to become a global ocean-oriented city.

Yantian’s economy is built around its port. Yantian Port, a preferred berth for ultra-large vessels in South China and home to the world’s largest single-site container terminal, is a major hub in global supply chains.

Local authorities note the port handles more than one-quarter of China’s exports to the United States and over one-third of Guangdong Province’s foreign trade volume.