The 20,000-TEU container vessel, Cosco Shipping's Aquarius, manufactured by Nantong Cosco KHI Ship Engineering Co, prepares for a sea trial at Nantong Port May 20. [Photo/IC]

A Nantong-Japan marine engineering conference was held in Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province, Nov 5, the eve of the opening of the 2019 Nantong Marine Engineering Industry Exhibition.

A total of 15 Japanese marine engineering companies attended the event to discuss cooperation with the city.

Nantong's cooperation with Japan in marine engineering dates back to Dec 1995, when Nantong COSCO KHI Ship Engineering Co was founded.

A 50-50 shipbuilding joint venture between China COSCO Shipping Corp and Japan's Kawasaki Heavy Industries, the company has produced 211 ships over the past 24 years, including the world's first roll-on/roll-off ship powered by two kinds of fuels, and China's first 20,000 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) container vessel.

"Nantong has become the second-largest ship building and marine engineering center in China. It boasts favorable natural advantages and skilled workers for the industry," said Xu Huimin, the mayor of Nantong.

Xu said that Nantong and Japan have much in common and there is ample room for bilateral cooperation in developing supporting industries for marine engineering.

According to a senior executive of Kawasaki Heavy Industries, the fast development of Nantong COSCO KHI Ship Engineering benefited a lot from the Nantong government's support, including the sound business environment and preferential policies.

The company is planning to transfer the design and construction of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carriers to Nantong, to help boost the city's marine engineering industry.