About 95 percent of China's foreign trade cargo is transported by sea, with its international shipping volume accounting for nearly one-third of the global total, said Ni Di, a deputy to the 14th National People's Congress and a senior ship captain at State-owned China COSCO Shipping Corp.

Speaking at the deputies' passage at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday, Ni said China has the world's largest maritime fleet and the largest cluster of world-class ports. The country has established shipping routes with more than 100 countries and regions, covering all coastal economies participating in the Belt and Road Initiative.

With the opening of the Chancay Port in Peru, shipping routes between Shanghai and Chancay have achieved two-way connectivity, and the Port of Shanghai has ranked first globally in container throughput for 16 consecutive years, Ni, who has worked in the shipping industry for 28 years, said.

China is a major seafaring nation, with more than 2 million registered seafarers, including 970,000 serving on ocean-going vessels. This highly skilled workforce is playing a vital role in supporting the country's transition from a major shipping nation to a strong maritime power, he added.