On June 25, the 2026 Secretary-General Work Conference of the Inland River Port Branch of the China Ports Association (hereinafter referred to as the “Inland River Port Branch”) was held in Luzhou, Sichuan. The conference promoted the spirit of the 2026 Member Conference and the First Session of the Third Council Meeting of the Inland River Port Branch, sorted out key annual tasks, strengthened industry exchanges and collaboration, and listened to the service demands of member units, contributing to the comprehensive promotion of high-quality development of inland river ports.
“Currently, the national inland river shipping is surging with enthusiasm and overlapping opportunities. The new Three Gorges water transport channel has officially commenced construction, and the Pinglu Canal has entered the countdown to navigation. These two national-level century-spanning water transport projects are advancing simultaneously. From the main trunk line of the Yangtze River to the major southwest water transport passage to the sea, the national inland river water transport network pattern is undergoing a historic reshaping. The inland river port industry is also standing at a new historical juncture of transformation and upgrading, integrating internal and external connections, and achieving overall leapfrog development,” said Chen Dongyuan, Executive Vice President of the Inland River Port Branch of the China Ports Association, in his speech. He stated that the Inland River Port Branch should bear in mind the “great affairs of the nation,” think “one step deeper” in implementing strategies, and accurately transform national strategic deployments into “construction blueprints” that suit the actual conditions of the region, industry, and enterprises. It should focus on “value symbiosis,” take “one step more practical” actions in serving members, and build the branch into a “member home” with cohesion, influence, and combat effectiveness within the industry. It should strengthen “digital-intelligent drive,” set an example by being “one step faster” in improving quality and efficiency, explore paths and establish benchmarks for the intelligent upgrading of inland river ports across the industry and the construction of a smart shipping system for the entire river basin, empowering the high-quality and sustainable development of inland river shipping through digital intelligence.
The secretary-general team is the “operator” of the branch and the “nerve center” of industry governance. Zhao Hu, Secretary-General of the Inland River Port Branch of the China Ports Association, stated that the secretary-general team of the branch must deeply understand this role positioning and promptly convey the spirit of this conference to all member units. In the next step, the branch should uphold its original intention, clarify the direction, and achieve unity of purpose and steady progress; emphasize implementation and strong execution, ensuring tasks are carried out effectively and successfully; promote extensive exchanges and deep collaboration, achieving mutual benefit and joint advancement; make good use of opportunities and platforms, empowering with wisdom and revitalizing the industry with data; optimize services and warm the hearts of members, fostering mutual support and companionship, and building the branch into a trusted, reliable happy home and strong position for all inland river port and shipping personnel.
Participating representatives conducted special discussions on the branch’s key tasks for 2026, the “China Inland River Port Development Report (2021-2025)” (draft for comments), the inland river port data platform, and the empowerment of archives in the construction of Yangtze River shipping culture. Sichuan Bangli Heavy Machinery Co., Ltd. shared its experience on the development of Bangli Heavy Machinery and supporting services for inland river ports. After the meeting, representatives conducted on-site inspections at Sichuan Luzhou Port Co., Ltd. and Sichuan Bangli Heavy Machinery Co., Ltd.
