Hello everyone. My name is Terence Zhao and I am the Managing Director of Singhai Marine Services. Four months ago, in one of the Capital Link events, I shared about Chinese Seafarers for international Shipping Companies. At that time, we shared about cultural differences of the Chinese crew and employment arrangement by international Shipowners and Managers. Singhai Marine is one largest Chinese crew supply agent to international Shipowners and Managers. Our head office is in Shanghai, with seven branch offices throughout China. Before, I begin, let me thank Nicolas for inviting me to speak at this Capital Link event. Firstly, I wish to share about Chinese Crewing during Covid-19 and beyond. Following that, I will share about Port State Control regime during COVID-19.
大家好，我是森海海事董事总经理赵玮，四个月前，我在资本链接论坛上分享了中国船员的文化差异和国际船东和管理公司对中国船员就业安排等话题。森海是中国领先的外派船员公司，我们的总部在上海，在国内有七家分支机构。在正式开始今天的演讲前，我首先要感谢Nicolas总裁邀请我担任此次资本链接论坛的演讲嘉宾。今天我演讲的题目是：新冠疫情期间和以后中国船员的雇佣和中国的港口国检查。
We know that COVID-19 is here to stay, at least for the next one to two years. The demand for Chinese seafarers is still very high and we are facing crew shortage due to various reasons which I will share with you.
我们知道新冠疫情继续存在，至少还需要一两年的时间，才可能结束。全球航运对中国海员的需求依然很大，因为种种原因，我们面对严重的船员短缺问题。
Shipowners and managers ask us hot questions. Why Chinese crew wages keep going up, when will it stabilize.? Why the Chinese crew so demanding and refuse to sail to high health risk countries. It seems that the blame is on the Chinese crew only. I agree that Chinese crew are demanding but I do not agree that totally they are to be blamed.
船东经常会问：为什么中国船员工资一直在涨，什么时候才能稳定下来？为什么中国船员这么多要求，拒绝前往高风险国家？我同意中国船员确实要求多，但并不赞同都去责怪中国船员。
One of the reasons for Chinese crew getting more demanding is because of the China zero COVID policy. Some 18 months ago, when COVID outbreak hit China, Chinese citizen suffered very badly. Almost whole country was locked down to control the spread. Because of what had happened, the Chinese government is not taking any chances now and aim for zero COVID. At all levels, strict restrictions are imposed. Everyone must follow. If not, they will be punished. Chinese citizens obey and follow the rules closely. By following the rules, we are able to control the spread and try to achieve zero COVID in China. This becomes the mindset of the Chinese crew. Are other countries doing the same to achieve zero COVID? I don’t think so. Each country has her policy to control COVID spread. If you come to China now, you will feel very safe. So, you see, when the Chinese crew sail to other countries where some people are not following health safety rules, they are scared. Some even breach the rules like mass gathering not wearing mask and protest in the street, fighting with authorities. Infection is very high and hospitals have to reject patients. We hear and see all these in the social media. Tik Tok is invented by China. Chinese and many other countries citizen are using it for leisure and also some to post and make income. Chinese crew are very exposed to social media and have all the information they want to see. They have information on sea employment like wages, terms and who are the good pay masters. Everyone knows what shipowners are paying, sign off and quarantine arrangement. When Chinese crew sail to some high infection countries, they are scared. They do not want to be infected. And this is the reason why Chinese crew are refusing to sail into some countries when they compare to home.
中国船员之所以要求越来越高，其中一个原因是因为中国的清零政策。大约18个月前，新冠在中国爆发，中国公民遭受了非常严重的损失，为了控制疫情传播，几乎整个国家都处在封锁状态，为了避免再度上演这样的惨剧，中国政府要采取一切可能的措施对新冠清零。以清零为目的，政府在各个层面都严加管控，每一位中国公民都有义务遵守，违反规定会受到处罚，对此，中国船员都已经习以为常，其他国家是否也用同样的做法来清零新冠呢？显然不是这样。每个国家都有自己的政策来控制新冠的传播。如果您现在来到中国，您会感到非常安全，可想而知，当中国船员在社交媒体上听到或看到某些国家的公民不遵守防疫规定，不戴口罩集会、抗议、与当局冲突甚至医院因为病人太多而拒收新冠病人时，让船员前往这些国家，他们应该会感到害怕。由中国公司创办的抖音，可能是很多人休闲娱乐，或者带货赚钱的平台，中国船员也充分的利用抖音，从中汲取了非常多有用的信息，如工资、待遇以及高薪船东和船舶管理公司等。他们了解船东的工资水平、上下船和防疫措施，他们害怕感染新冠，这造成中国船员不愿意前往高风险国家问题的出现。
To avoid infection and stay close to home, some prefer domestic trading. It means lesser crew for foreign going vessels. Due to economic progress in China, the wage gap between worldwide trading and domestic trading is closing. It is attractive enough to stay with domestic shipowners. Less pay with less risk is ok.
一方面为了降低感染风险，另一方面想在离家近的地方工作，船员会选择国内航线，相对而言外国船东选择的中国船员减少，而且，随着中国经济的发展，国际航线和国内航线的工资差距缩小，国内航线对船员的吸引力更大，船员会认为虽然国内航线工资少一点，但工作风险也小。
Global COVID cases already cross 250 million and death more than 5 million. About half of the world population is yet to receive a single dose of vaccine. Without attractive incentive, it is very difficult to source for Chinese crew. Therefore, Chinese crew demand for higher wages and better terms. In some cases, they demand for COVID bonus and take the risk if required to sail to countries they feel unsafe. Some just totally refuse to take the risk. Shipowners asked us why other nationalities are ok to sail to these countries? The answer is simple. It is the mindset about unsafe countries. Same way, the Chinese do not understand the mindset of those who refuse to put on mask and vaccination. Why some nationalities need to protest when it is good for them? We don’t understand too.
目前，全球新冠肺炎病例已超过2.5亿，死亡人数逾500万。全球仍有一半人口尚未接种疫苗。除非有诱人的条件，不然很难找到中国船员前往高风险地区，中国船员也会要求更高的工资和更好的福利，船员航行到新冠疫情严重的地区时甚至还会要求船东支付额外补贴。有些直接拒绝前往疫区。船东问我们为什么其他国籍的人可以？答案很简单。人们对于不安全地区的定义和理解不同，就像中国人不理解不戴口罩，不接种疫苗的人，也不理解为什么有些人会抗议明明对自己有利的政策。
The G20 or Group of Twenty consisting of 19 big countries and European Union met recently to promote trade. Similar APEC or Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation met to improve trade. It means shipping demand will remain high and if other major crew supply countries are not getting out of the COVID situation quickly, Chinese crew will still be in high demand and wages remain high.
G20集团-19个大国同欧盟近期召开会议旨在推动贸易发展，亚太经合组织也召开了类似会议，这些都暗示着航运需求将保持高位，如果其他主要船员供应国不能尽快摆脱新冠肺炎疫情的影响，航运业对中国船员仍将保持较大的需求，船员的工资也不会下降。
Look at it this way, China is not only imposing strict border control to other nationalities only. It includes returning Chinese seafarers. China is determined to achieve zero COVID for the time being. Will the zero COVID policy change in future? May be, who knows? But for the time being it remains. At the moment, it affects Chinese crew and they have to take various COVID tests and quarantine 21 days before coming back to China. When arrive in China, they need 14 days quarantine at point of arrival airport city and another 14 days in their province before going home to their family. So, we can understand that crew will not take assignment if they do not get paid for so many days during quarantine. Chinese crew wages will continue to rise when there is lesser supply than demand as other countries COVID is rising. If countries can achieve what China has achieved in terms of infection control, crew wages will stabilize. That is why I said earlier that we cannot totally blame on the Chinese crew but everyone has the responsibility to control COVID spread.
中国不仅对其他国家入境人员实行严格的管控，对回国船员也如此，这样的政策将来会不会有所改变？目前疫情防控政策对中国外派船员有很大影响，回国船员在回国之前要进行各种新冠检测并隔离21天。抵达中国后，他们需要在抵达机场所在的城市隔离14天，并在其居住的省份再隔离14天。在此情况下，如果船员在隔离期间没有工资，他们是不会接受的。而随着其他国家新冠病例增长，中国船员供不应求，他们的工资势必继续攀升。如果其他国家能像中国一样控制疫情，船员工资就会稳定下来。这就是为什么我之前说我们不能都去责怪中国船员，因为控制新冠病毒传播的责任属于我们大家。
As crewing agent, what we can do is to cooperate closely to manage the crewing situation. We are standing on the sides of shipowners and the crew. The aim is to achieve good outcome to satisfy the Shipowner and the crew during this challenging times.
作为船员代理，我们与船东合作，掌握市场的脉动和船员情况。我们同船东和船员是统一战线，我们的目标是应对当下的挑战，维护好船东和船员的最大利益。
Singhai has delivered many new vessels for international clients. There are two groups. One is using Chinese crew for the first time and quickly carry out complete set of crew change at next port. The second group continue with at least one normal contract. At first, they are concern about English communication and competency of the Chinese crew. But after engagement, they are satisfied and the concern for English and competency no longer exist. They are comfortable with the Chinese crew.
森海为众多船东提供送船业务，总体来说, 这些船东大致分成两类, 第一类船东是首次使用中国船员，迅速在下一港口进行全套船员更换。另一类船东则和中国船员签了至少一个完整的合同期。起初大部分船东都比较担心中国船员的英语交流和工作能力，但是经过同森海的船员合作，他们对中国船员的满意度都有所提高。
China aimed to be the world largest tonnage to support its economic and trade expansion. The Chinese fleet is modern and require large numbers of crew. Naturally for the Chinese crew, they prefer to be on a vessel with same race, culture and food. As the wage gap is closing between local Chinese shipowners and international shipowners, the Chinese crew find it attractive to join the local shipowners. So, there is competition between local and international shipowners for Chinese crew.
中国要建设海洋强国，凭借航运业的发展促进经济和贸易的发展，中国有着现代化的船队，对中国船员有很大的需求，能在熟悉的文化中和自己的同胞一起工作，吃着家乡味，这会得到中国船员的偏爱，而国内船东和国际船东能提供的船员福利和工资差距正逐渐缩小，对比国际船东，中国船东势必越来越有竞争力。
Hot question, what is the crewing situation like in six months’ time? Honestly, we can only say it depends. But it cannot go up so far that it becomes unrealistic. It depends on how fast the world overcome COVID. With more vaccination and approved anti-virus medication to fight COVID, we hope it becomes like a flu and no serious medical symptoms. People can get on with lives and with more supply of other nationalities crew as borders open up, the Chinese crew wages will stabilize. If other countries cannot manage the COVID situation well, the Chinese crew wages will remain high.
未来6个月船员问题将如何发展？目前来看，未来的情况还是要看各国对新冠疫情的控制情况，我们希望随着疫苗接种率的提高，治疗新冠药物的不断丰富，人们对待新冠能像对待流感一样，到时，边境就开放，人们就可以正常生活，其他国家就能正常供应船员，中国船员的工资也才能稳定下来。不然，中国船员的工资仍将居高不下。
Before the pandemic, we encourage Owners to try out Chinese crew. But the answer was always may be another time. But now, we can see that the shipowners with a pool of Chinese crew, are benefitting. They can deploy the Chinese crew. For this reason, we encourage shipowners who is now using Chinese crew for delivery projects to consider using Chinese for the longer term. With a pool of returning Chinese crew, it provides good support for the fleet.
疫情之前，每当我们向船东推荐中国船员时，船东总是回答下次吧。现在，很明显，那些雇佣中国船员的船东在从中受益，我们也鼓励雇佣中国船员送船的国际船东考虑长期与中国船员合作，因为中国的船员能更好的服务他们的船队并支持船队的发展。
Next, I wish to share a bit about the current Port State Control situation in China.Two months ago, on 23 September, Singhai Marine together with American Eagle Tankers and MISC organized the Asean LNG Seminar in Shenzhen, China. Part of the seminar was focus on China Port State Control regime. It was attended by international shipowners, China regulators and PSCOs from different parts of China. We had the opportunity to hear from them about their work during the pandemic.
接下来，我想分享一下目前中国港口国检查的情况。两个月前，9月23日，森海同美国海鹰油轮以及马来西亚航运在中国深圳举办了东盟液化天然气研讨会。研讨会的一部分重点是中国港口国检查制度。国际船东、中国海事主管机关和港口国检查机关参加了此次会议。我们有机会从他们那里了解到新冠期间中国港口国检查的情况。
During pandemic, all countries are busy managing the situation to bring down infection. Same for China, Port State Control inspection on board has reduced for the fear of infection. The ship crew are afraid of inspectors coming on board and the inspectors are afraid of getting infection when they come into contact with crew onboard. Remote inspection becomes a common practice.
与其他国家一样，疫情期间，出于防疫的考虑，中国的港口国检查也相对减少，船员和检查员都担心检查时感染新冠，为了缓解各方面的担忧，中国的港口国检查采用稳妥的远程检查。
According to the PSCOs, remote inspection has its difficulties. Physical inspection is faster and more representative. When an inspector goes on board, he will have a feeling if the vessel is well maintained and whether the crew are competent and operational procedures are followed. He already has good or bad feeling about the vessel. He will carry out some checks according to the checklist, carry out some tests to confirm his findings.
据检查官称，远程检查开展起来有困难，不像实地检查，检查员登船的时候就已经对船舶维护保养状况，对船员工作情况，对这艘船的好坏有了大概的了解，检察官只需要对照检查表进行一些检查，来确认自己已经掌握的情况即可。
But remote inspection is not like that. The PSCO has to visualize the situation on board. It is difficult. Vessel needs to send documents and videos and verifications. He will again send questions to the vessel and request for more documents follow by more videos and so on. It has more work in checking the documents and going through videos follow by questions and reply again and again. But it is necessary. Remote inspection makes PSCOs feel overload. The process is time consuming as they need to go through many items and raise questions to confirm findings.
远程检查不一样。检查官要了解船舶的情况，这很困难，船上工作人员需要提供大量文件、视频和证据给检查官，检查官浏览过后要提出问题，船舶再提交更多文件，视频等证据。检查文件和浏览视频方面的工作量很大，但是又不得不一遍遍重复重要的问题，远程检查给检查官带来很大的压力。
We learned from the seminar that China PSC inspection will remain as it is and not likely that inspections will increase. This is good news to Owners, isn’t it? But don’t be too happy first and I will share with you why.
我们从研讨会上了解到，中国港口国检查将维持原样，不会增加检查频率，对船东来讲这是个好消息，但是，开心之余，我们了解到：
We know that on board PSC inspections will be reduced but it will continue with onboard inspection of high-risk foreign flag vessels.
港口国登船检查次数减少，但对高风险国家船舶的检查频率却是不降反升。
As far as possible, remote inspections will continue if the epidemic is still not well controlled in the world. The number of onboard inspections will be small but PSCOs will continue to target high-risk vessels and those vessels found violating the local regulations or had recent maritime incident. Rate of deficiencies and detention will continue to be high with the high-risk vessels being inspected physically. It means PSCOs will have time to target high risk vessels. Before they have to spread the work and meet inspection quota.
只要是全球范围内疫情没有得到很好地控制，港口国检查将尽可能采取远程检查的方式，登船检查频率降低，这意味着港口国检查将有充分的时间重点关注高风险船舶，针对高风险国家船舶以及被发现违反当地法规或最近发生海事事故的船舶，检察官将登船检查，且缺陷和滞留率会较高。
Not a very good news for the high-risk vessel shipowners. So, we advise Shipowners to maintain their vessel well before coming to China. Singhai has Port State Control protective agency services and we have assisted many Shipowners. You can reach out to us if you need more information on this area.
这对于高风险船舶来说并不是个好消息，我们建议船东在来中国之前对船只进行全面保养，此外，森海的港口国检查保护代理服务，受到许多船东好评，如果您有相关方面的需要，可以联系我们。
On the other hand, due to the pandemic many ports have stepped up their own area regulations control and inspections. Different ports have different requirements. We come across vessels paying heavy penalties for violating local rules. For example, simple violation like not having put up the correct flag. The fine can be very heavy. And vessel can be detained at anchorage for a long time for some small violation if not properly managed.
另一方面，受疫情影响，不少港口都加强了自身的区域法规管控和检查。不同的港口有不同的要求。我们遇到过受到重罚的船只，船舶可能仅仅因为简单的旗帜悬挂不正确而遭到很重的罚款，甚至长期滞留在锚地。
But due to COVID, the port main focus is on quarantine and health matters. China is a large country and local province can have their port regulations to impose on vessels. Even shipyards have their own health requirement. Some need joining Chinese crew to quarantine and some do not. The regulations change very often depending on the local COVID situation. Local agents and crewing agents like us need to monitor very closely.
受疫情影响，港口国检查的重点还是检疫和健康问题。在中国不同省份港口都有自己的相关规定，即便是造船厂也有自己的防疫要求，有些要求上船的中国船员进行隔离，有些则不需要，随着疫情防控要求的变化，相关规定也经常发生变化，像我们这样的本地代理和船员代理时时刻刻都在非常密切地监控规定的变化。
Physical Port State inspection has reduced but there are strict procedures at the ports. China will not relax its regulations due to zero COVID policy. And it may even step up due to the Winter Olympics in February next year.
虽然港口国检查减少了，但靠港的程序变复杂了，中国的新冠政策加上2022冬奥会可能让中国的港口国检查继续收紧。
Thank you for listening and I very happy to share with you. Have a pleasant day! Bye..
感谢聆听，很高兴进行此次演讲。祝大家度过愉快的一天，再见。
