Crew members travel across the oceans year-round, with their routes spanning every corner of the world. As guardians of the “floating territory,” they bear the responsibility of transporting 90% of China’s international trade volume, yet they also face pressures and challenges beyond ordinary imagination.
On June 25, the 16th “Day of the Seafarer,” the Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration, jointly with multiple departments including the Foreign Affairs Office of the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government, signed the “Memorandum of Cooperation on Early Warning and Emergency Response for Overseas Emergencies Involving Chinese Seafarers in Shanghai,” establishing the first nationwide collaborative safeguard mechanism for seafarer-related overseas emergencies. Supported by measures such as “information sharing, consultation and assessment, emergency coordination, and publicity and training,” this mechanism jointly builds a more solid institutional guarantee for seafarers performing their duties abroad.
It is understood that the collaborative mechanism adheres to the principles of people-centeredness, coordinated action, and the combination of prevention and response. It integrates the resource advantages of multiple departments, including maritime and foreign affairs authorities, and clarifies the division of responsibilities among various entities in areas such as information sharing, emergency response, urgent assistance, and rights protection and handling. This enables rapid response, scientific handling, and effective safeguarding, minimizing losses caused by emergencies and effectively protecting the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese seafarers as well as national interests.
This year’s theme for the “Day of the Seafarer” is “Carry the commerce of the world, brave the risks of the sea.” To fully acknowledge the immense contributions of seafarers in ensuring the stability of global industrial and supply chains, call for attention to the hardships and risks seafarers may face during their work, further enhance seafarers’ sense of social recognition, professional honor, and career fulfillment, and guide all sectors of society to care for and support seafarers, the Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration also organized practical and diverse themed activities to pay tribute to seafarers.
The Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration, in collaboration with multiple entities, integrated various resources including government services, rights protection, skills training, medical security, and convenience and leisure services, and showcased them centrally in the “Seafarer Service Map” on the “Maritime Pass” App. It improved the seafarer rights protection mechanism, deepened the tripartite coordination mechanism for maritime labor relations, and introduced practical measures. Based on the 2025 recommended model of the “Seafarer Employment Agreement,” and considering new developments in the seafarer employment sector in Shanghai, it collaborated with the Shanghai Seafarer Service Association to launch the “Shanghai Seafarer Employment Agreement Model Version 2.0,” continuously regulating the seafarer employment market.
Efforts were made to improve the quality of talent supply for the maritime industry, facilitating the signing of framework agreements between Shanghai Maritime University and four shipping enterprises, including COSCO Shipping Crew Management Co., Ltd., to deepen the integration of industry and education, school-enterprise cooperation, and jointly cultivate high-quality seafarer talent that meets the development needs of the industry.
At the same time, multiple landmarks including the Shanghai Tower, the Aurora Building, and the Magnolia Plaza held public welfare activities featuring nighttime light shows with the “Day of the Seafarer” theme. Maritime personnel at the Mirror Hall of the Pudong Art Museum sent exclusive blessings using semaphore flags. A drone formation performance themed around seafarers at the Baoshan International Cruise Terminal lit up the night sky. Shanghai paid tribute to seafarers with the city’s myriad brilliant lights. The Shanghai Seafarer Assessment and Demonstration Center launched a special open day event for youth science popularization experience titled “Future Navigator,” leading young people to immerse themselves in the experience of maritime work.
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