根据全球领先的行业信息提供商的一份报告，中国从总吨位上已经超过希腊成为世界最大航运船队的所有者。中国正加紧努力成为一个主要的海上强国。

据英国克拉克森研究公司近日公布的数据，中国船东拥有的船队总吨位已达2.492亿总吨，在全球市场份额中占比15.9%，超过希腊(2.49亿总吨)和日本(1.81亿总吨)。

分析人士说，这一结果连同中国巨大的造船能力和未完成的订单数量，将有助于巩固北京在国际贸易中的领先地位。

克拉克森研究公司的分析师斯蒂芬·戈登说：“中国在造船市场上一直较为活跃(中国的订单现在几乎是希腊人所有订单的两倍)。一个日益活跃且专业的金融部门也起到了帮助作用，中国的租赁(公司)发挥了关键作用。”

报告说，中国船东的船队规模自2015年以来一直在迅速扩大，这得益于粮食和煤炭等干散货进口的增加以及对出口集装箱货物的旺盛需求，在今年统计的船队总吨位中，干散货船队和集装箱船队的占比分别为24%和16%。

然而，在戈登看来，相较于中国在全球进口和在集装箱出口中较高的占比，中国船东在世界船运市场中份额仍然较低。

希腊这个欧洲国家仍是全球油轮的最大船东，拥有全球油轮市场25%的份额。

希腊在全球液化天然气运输船中所占的份额从2013年的仅3%上升到今年的21%。

克拉克森研究公司14日表示，作为世界上最大的海运能源进口国，中国的液化天然气运输船队和液化石油气运输船队加在一起名列全球第八位，落后于日本和韩国。

该公司分析师幸月(音)说：“(中国)仍然有进一步追赶的发展空间，其油轮船队规模仅为希腊的一半。”

克拉克森研究公司的数据显示，中国已连续4年保持世界造船领域领先投资者的位置，中国拥有所有主要船东国中最年轻的船队，中国船只的平均船龄为14.4年，而全球平均船龄为22.4年。

国际海事组织今年7月表示，它希望国际航运在2050年前后实现净零排放。这意味着从2025年开始，船只必须遵守严格的硫氧化物控制规定。

有中国航运巨头近期表示，零碳燃料的定义和惩罚性经济措施也将对中国航运业产生重大影响。

据中国工业和信息化部介绍，2023年上半年，全国造船完工量2113万载重吨，同比增长14.2%。

·Chinese-owned fleet reached 249.2 million gross tonnage, or 15.9 per cent of the market share, to edge ahead of Greece, according to Clarksons Research

·But efforts to become a major maritime power are set to be tested by challenges, including carbon emission reduction targets, analysts said

Mia Nulimaimaiti

China has overtaken Greece as the owner of the largest shipping fleet in terms of gross tonnage, according to a report by a leading global industry information provider, as it steps up efforts to become a major maritime power.

The Chinese-owned fleet has reached 249.2 million gross tonnage, or 15.9 per cent of the market share, edging ahead of Greece’s 249 million gross tonnage and Japan’s 181 million gross tonnage, according to Clarksons Research on Friday.

South Korea and the United States ranked fourth globally at around 66 million GT, with Germany falling from fourth in 2013 to seventh, the report showed.

The results, together with China’s massive shipbuilding capacity and outstanding orders, would help consolidate Beijing’s lead in international trade, but would also bring challenges, including meeting carbon emission reduction targets, analysts said.

“China has been more active in the new build market (it is now almost double the Greek-owned order book),” said Clarksons analyst Stephen Gordon.

“An increasingly active and professional finance sector has been helpful, with Chinese leasing playing a key role.”

China's fleet has been growing rapidly since 2015 due to an expansion of its imports of dry bulk cargo – including grain and coal – and high demand for containerised goods for export, which stood at 24 per cent and 16 per cent, respectively, of its total gross tonnage this year, the report said.

However, China's ship ownership market share remains low compared to its 22 per cent share of global imports and 33 per cent share of container exports, Gordon added.

And Greece continued to hold the largest share of global deadweight tonnage – the total weight a ship can carry – at 18 per cent.

The European nation also remains the world’s leading tanker owner with a 25 per cent market share, and its share of liquefied natural gas carriers has risen from just 3 per cent in 2013 to 21 per cent this year.

As the world's largest seaborne energy importer, China has the eighth largest fleet of liquefied natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas carriers combined, behind the likes of Japan and South Korea, added Clarksons on Monday.

“[China] still sees room for further development to catch up, its tankers are half the size of Greek shipowners’, who have a huge number of large, private, independent shipowners,” Clarksons analyst Xing Yue said.

China has been the world’s leading investor in shipbuilding for four consecutive years, according to Clarksons, while it has the youngest fleet of all major ship-owning countries, with an average age of 14.4 years compared to the global average of 22.4 years.

However, geopolitics, trade fragmentation and decarbonisation are set to pose challenges for China’s shipping ambitions.

The International Maritime Organization said in July it wants international shipping to reach net-zero emissions close to 2050, meaning ships will have to comply with stringent sulphur oxide controls from 2025.

The definition of zero-carbon fuels and punitive economic measures will also have a major impact on China’s shipping industry, shipping giant Cosco said last week.

Chinese shipbuilders completed a total of 21.13 million deadweight tonnage of new ships in the first half of 2023, up by 14. 2 per cent from a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.