Chinese shipbuilding companies on Friday signed a contract in Shanghai with Canada's Seaspan Corporation, the world's largest independent container ship lessor, for the construction of six 13,600 TEU large container vessels.
The contract was signed by Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) Co., Ltd., China Shipbuilding Trading Co., Ltd., and Seaspan Corporation. The contract is the largest shipbuilding order settled in RMB in China this year.
The 13,600 TEU large container vessel in the contract is a green and environmentally friendly container vessel developed and designed independently by Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) Co., Ltd.
With a total length of around 336 meters and a width of 51 meters, it can accommodate a maximum of 14,132 standard containers and offer 2,000 reefer container slots.
The order is the third batch of a total of 15 large container vessels that Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) Co., Ltd has undertaken this year. It is the first time that the contract is settled in China's currency, the renminbi (RMB), and it is also the largest single shipbuilding order that is settled in RMB for container vessels in China this year, marking a significant step towards advancing the internationalization of RMB.
The construction of the vessels are scheduled to be completed and delivered between 2026 and 2028.
Chinese shipbuilding companies sign large contract with Canadian corporation
A new direct passenger flight route from Ningbo City of east China's Zhejiang Province to Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh opened on Wednesday, which also marked the first international flight out of the city's airport in 2025.
The new flight departs from the Ningbo Lishe International Airport at 13:30 and takes just under four and a half hours to reach the Cambodian capital. Operated by Cambodian airlines, it is scheduled to fly every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, with the return flight departing Phnom Penh at 07:40 local time on the same days.
The direct route provides an important travel option for tourists, especially those from Ningbo and the surrounding areas. Pang Cuili, a Ningbo resident who had to transit in Shanghai for a midnight arrival in Phnom Penh, said the new service now offers much greater convenience.
"We'll fly at 13:30 and arrive at around 16:50. It’s very convenient [timing] for us to check into the hotel after arriving," she said.
As the capital and largest city of Cambodia, Phnom Penh has long been an important international aviation hub in Southeast Asia, with the new route giving a further boost to the economic and cultural exchanges between Ningbo and ASEAN countries.
"Today marks the first flight of Ningbo Airport's regular direct passenger service to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The opening of this route is also an important move for the airport to help implement the Belt and Road Initiative, enriching international passenger transport routes, and further speeding up the recovery of the international market," said Chen Qiaoyu, manager of the Market Development Department at the Ningbo Lishe International Airport.
As Cambodia Airlines' first route out of Ningbo Airport, the new service also signals the airline's broader plans to connect various parts of China with Cambodia in the coming year.
Ningbo airport launches first direct flight to Phnom Penh
