This week, Minister for Industry, Business and Financial Affairs, Morten Bødskov, is visiting China accompanied by a large Danish maritime business delegation to discuss opportunities and challenges related to the green transition of global shipping.

The Danish and Chinese governments share a common ambition to strengthen bilateral cooperation, and Minister for Business, Morten Bødskov, and Minister of Industry and Information Technology of the People’s Republic of China, Li Lecheng, have now signed a new cooperation agreement focusing on shipbuilding and green technologies.

China remains the world’s largest shipbuilding nation, while Danish companies are among the global leaders in developing next-generation green and energy-efficient solutions. Although the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) ambitious agreement on international climate regulation of shipping was postponed by at least one year last autumn, the new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) sends a clear signal that China and Denmark continue to cooperate closely and with strong commitment to the green transition.

In a press release from the Ministry, Minister for Business Morten Bødskov states:

“For generations, Denmark has helped pave the way for international shipping. The Danish maritime industry is at the forefront of green technologies, and we have strong ambitions to accelerate the green transition of shipping. With this agreement, we are turning words into action and underlining our close maritime partnership with China. At the same time, we are sending a clear signal to the rest of the world that we take the green transition seriously. This is an important step towards making the shipping of tomorrow innovative and climate-friendly.”

CEO of Danske Maritime, Jenny Braat, is participating in the delegation and sees significant potential in continued cooperation with China for the Danish maritime industry:

“Our discussions these days build on many years of close cooperation, and it is evident that China has made a strategic decision to be among the frontrunners in launching the sustainable shipping of the future. Denmark has a great deal to contribute in this regard, and there is strong demand for the innovation capacity for which Danish companies are well known. Reducing the climate and environmental footprint of shipping is a shared responsibility, and together we can make a real difference. We are experiencing strong Chinese interest – both through visits to the Danish maritime industry and during our own visits to China – and an agreement of this nature contributes positively to our continued cooperation.”

The agreement also opens new and promising opportunities and strengthens cooperation with the Royal Danish Embassy in Beijing. In 2024, the maritime sector was designated as a priority industry in Denmark’s Action Plan for Economic Diplomacy and the Government’s export promotion efforts, providing increased focus on growth opportunities, export initiatives, and new international partnerships.

Today’s visit focused on meetings in the political capital Beijing, while tomorrow, Danish and Chinese companies will be visited in China’s maritime capital – Shanghai.

Facts

More than half of all global orders for new vessels are currently placed in China, and Danish exports of maritime goods and services to China amounted to DKK 3.1 billion in 2024.

The cooperation agreement between Denmark and China builds on the agreement signed during the Minister for Business’ most recent visit to China in 2023. Maritime cooperation between the two countries dates back to 1974, when Denmark and China entered into their first bilateral agreement on maritime transport.