By Dou Hanyang, Han Xin, People’s Daily

The world’s largest pure electric intelligent container vessel, the Ning Yuan Dian Kun, developed by China, embarked on its maiden voyage on April 15, marking a new step in the country’s push toward greener and more intelligent coastal shipping.

At 4 p.m., the ship departed from Ningbo-Zhoushan Port in east China’s Zhejiang province, heading for Zhapu Port in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province, a journey of about 70 nautical miles.

With its bright green hull cutting across the deep blue sea, the vessel stood out at first glance. Along its side, the words “Battery Power Zero Emission” highlighted its defining feature — fully electric propulsion with zero emissions during operation.

Developed by Ningbo Ocean Shipping Co., Ltd., the Ning Yuan Dian Kun is recognized as the world’s largest vessel of its kind and China’s first 10,000-ton-class pure electric intelligent container ship. Its launch into commercial service signaled a new phase for China’s coastal container transport, combining clean energy with intelligent navigation.

What sets this vessel apart?

Onboard, an integrated smart navigation platform displays real-time data across multiple digital screens. Positioned at the stern, ten standardized container-sized lithium iron phosphate battery units — the ship’s primary power source — are neatly arranged, . With a total storage capacity of around 20,000 kWh, the system is equivalent to the combined battery capacity of about 300 electric cars.

The environmental benefits are substantial. Once fully operational, the vessel is expected to save around 580 tons of fuel annually and cut carbon dioxide emissions by more than 1,400 tons, roughly equal to the yearly carbon absorption of 40,000 mature trees, achieving truly zero-emission, zero-pollution voyages, said Wang Ting, captain of the vessel.

“The most noticeable difference compared with conventional fuel-powered ships is the profound quietness,” Wang said. “The engine room was once dominated by the roar of the main engine, but now we sail almost silently, which significantly improves crew focus.” 

He added that electric propulsion also delivers smoother and more responsive acceleration and deceleration, with minimal delay. However, he emphasized, “This requires careful energy management — operators must monitor battery consumption closely and adjust speed planning accordingly.”

Compared with vessels powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), pure electric ships rely more heavily on charging infrastructure, especially for longer routes. The steady expansion of shore power facilities has already made electric vessels more common along inland waterways like the Yangtze River.

But is an all-electric vessel capable of handling sea routes?

“The vessel’s range fully meets the requirements of this specific route, incorporating a built-in safety margin,” said Chen Xiaofeng, chairman of Ningbo Ocean Shipping Co., Ltd. Behind this capability lies a comprehensive system integrating battery capacity, energy management, and charging solutions.

From a design perspective, the biggest challenge was not a single technical hurdle, but integrating an entire electric propulsion system into a 10,000-ton-class seagoing vessel. 

“Stable power supply under complex maritime conditions places high demands on energy management and system safety,” Chen explained. To address this, the company worked with partners including the Shanghai Merchant Ship Design and Research Institute and China Classification Society to overcome key technical challenges, optimizing battery layout and improving energy efficiency.

Equally important is the charging system. The vessel adopts a dual approach combining shore-based charging and battery swapping. In current operations, shore power charging has proven sufficient, while the battery-swapping model is being further developed as a reserve solution.

To support the vessel’s battery-powered and autonomous navigation systems, maritime authorities in Ningbo introduced dedicated service and safety protocols, completing real-world tests for functions such as intelligent route tracking and dynamic collision avoidance in advance. The ship’s smooth operation and rapid decision-making response have demonstrated the reliability and stability of its smart navigation system in real-world conditions.

The maiden voyage of the Ning Yuan Dian Kun also underscored the broader potential of green shipping.

While all-electric vessels require higher upfront investment, they offer significantly lower energy and maintenance costs over time, particularly on short, high-frequency routes where their economic advantages are more pronounced.

“Green shipping brings both immediate and long-term benefits,” Chen said. “In the short term, it reduces fuel consumption and emissions. In the long run, it enhances market competitiveness.” 

As global clients place increasing emphasis on supply chain carbon footprints, low-emission shipping capacity is becoming not just a competitive edge, but a shared direction for the industry’s future.

In recent years, China has seen rapid growth in new-energy and clean-energy vessels. From inland waterways to ocean routes, the share of green ships continues to rise steadily.

Statistics show that by the end of 2025, China had over 1,600 clean-energy vessels operating on coastal and inland waterways, including battery-powered, LNG, methanol and hydrogen fuel cell ships. China boasts one of the world’s largest clean shipping fleets and takes a global lead in the application of electric watercraft.

By Qiu Chaoyi, People’s Daily

China’s economy got off to a solid start in the first quarter of the year, with GDP expanding 5.0 percent year on year. Across the board, key indicators showed encouraging performance. Four keywords shed light on the quality and underlying strength of the country’s first-quarter economic performance.

Steady Improvement

Preliminary data show that China’s GDP reached nearly 33.42 trillion yuan ($4.9 trillion) in the first quarter, growing 5 percent year on year in real terms, an increase of 0.5 percentage points from the fourth quarter of last year.

Breaking down the data, agricultural production remained stable, while industry and services both posted steady growth. The value added of the primary industry reached 1.19 trillion yuan, up 3.8 percent; the secondary industry grew 4.9 percent to 11.61 trillion yuan; and the tertiary industry rose 5.2 percent to 20.61 trillion yuan.

Price levels remained generally stable, with core CPI (Consumer Price Index) which excludes food and energy prices, up 1.2 percent year on year. Investment also rebounded, with fixed-asset investment (excluding rural households) reaching 10.27 trillion yuan, up 1.7 percent and returning to positive growth. 

Consumption showed steady improvement, as retail sales of consumer goods rose 2.4 percent year on year to nearly 12.77 trillion yuan, accelerating by 0.7 percentage points from the previous quarter. Employment remained stable, with the surveyed urban unemployment rate averaging 5.3 percent, unchanged from a year earlier.

“Overall, major macroeconomic indicators picked up in the first quarter, new growth drivers expanded rapidly, and the economy achieved a good start,” said Mao Shengyong, deputy head of the National Bureau of Statistics.

Strong Resilience

Against a high comparison base from last year’s first quarter and a far more complex, challenging global outlook, China’s economy delivered a robust opening performance, fully demonstrating its remarkable resilience.

Take foreign trade, for example. In the first quarter, China’s total imports and exports of goods reached nearly 11.84 trillion yuan, up 15 percent year on year, the fastest quarterly growth in the past five years. Mao noted that the strong competitiveness of Chinese enterprises, the high cost-effectiveness of their products, and supportive policy measures have helped offset external uncertainties and expand new space for trade.

Energy security also reflects this resilience. “Amid rising global energy prices driven by geopolitical tensions, China has maintained stable and orderly energy supply, with timely price adjustments ensuring sufficient energy for both households and businesses,” Mao said. 

This stability stems from years of forward-looking efforts to develop new energy industries and build a diversified energy supply system, significantly enhancing the economy’s autonomy and stability, he added.

Supported by China’s vast domestic market, complete industrial system, and strong supporting capabilities, industrial and supply chains have remained secure and stable, effectively cushioning external shocks. This demonstrates the strong resilience and anti-risk capability of the Chinese industry and provides solid support for overall economic stability.

Innovation-Driven, High-Quality Development

In the first quarter, China’s new quality productive forces continued to grow steadily, characterized by high-end, intelligent, green, and upgraded development.

High-end manufacturing and modern services expanded rapidly. The value added of high-tech manufacturing enterprises above designated size rose 12.5 percent year on year, raising its share in total output of industrial enterprises above designated size to 16.9 percent and contributing 2 percentage points to overall growth of industrial enterprises above designated size.

Intelligent development gained further momentum. Output in sectors directly related to artificial intelligence (AI), including electronic materials and integrated circuits, grew by 32.5 percent and 49.4 percent, respectively, highlighting AI’s growing role as a driver of economic activity.

Green transformation is also creating new growth engines. In the first quarter, production of lithium-ion batteries and wind turbines rose by 40.8 percent and 30.1 percent, respectively. Exports of the “new trio” — electric vehicles, lithium batteries, and solar products — continued to grow rapidly, with electric vehicle exports surging 77.5 percent, contributing to the global transition toward green and low-carbon development.

Meanwhile, traditional industries are being revitalized through steady upgrading, with faster progress in equipment renewal and technological transformation.

Confidence in the Outlook

Looking ahead, China has every reason to remain confident about its economic prospects.

“We have strong institutional strengths, as well as accumulated advantages in industry, market size, and talent. We are fully capable of maintaining stable economic performance and achieving high-quality development throughout the year,” Mao said.

With first-quarter GDP growth of 5.0 percent, China continues to rank among the fastest-growing major economies globally. Growth is increasingly driven by innovation, the cultivation of new quality productive forces, and the rapid expansion of new growth drivers.

At the same time, improving demand is creating favorable conditions. Domestic demand contributed 84.7 percent to economic growth in the first quarter, up nearly 30 percentage points year on year. Imports of consumer goods rose 5.4 percent, indicating a gradual recovery in domestic demand, particularly the continued release of potential in service consumption.

“Despite a complex external environment, we have the strength and resolve to meet any risks and challenges,” Mao said. “That assurance is built on our past achievements, and we remain confident about the future.”

By Zhong Sheng, People’s Daily

Recent overtures by the Philippines to resume oil and gas cooperation with China stand in stark contrast to Manila’s continued provocations in the South China Sea. While seeking economic support from China, Philippine authorities have simultaneously intensified actions infringing upon China’s core interests.

The Philippines currently faces a severe energy crisis exacerbated by Middle East conflicts. With a narrow energy structure heavily reliant on oil imports from the region, global supply disruptions have severely impacted its economy. Late last month, the government declared a nationwide energy emergency, highlighting the urgency of addressing these critical economic and livelihood challenges.

Against this backdrop, Philippine leaders have publicly acknowledged China’s fertilizer assistance and signaled openness to restarting bilateral energy talks. However, Manila’s actions tell a different story. The President recently unilaterally renamed 131 geographical features within China’s Nansha Qundao, while Philippine vessels intruded into China’s territorial waters off Huangyan Dao in the South China Sea, harassing Chinese fishing operations and staging media provocations.

Manila has further escalated tensions by fabricating incidents—including allegations of Chinese naval vessels using fire-control radar near Xianbin Jiao—and collaborating with external powers to disrupt regional security. The recent large-scale “Balikatan” joint exercises with the U.S. and Japan marked the first post-WWII deployment of Japanese combat forces on Philippine soil.

These contradictory actions reveal an opportunistic strategy by certain Philippine politicians to simultaneously leverage external allies—who benefit from South China Sea instability—while seeking economic cooperation with China. This “separate disputes from cooperation” approach is unsustainable; one cannot disregard a neighbor’s core interests while expecting its critical support.

As a nation with limited capacity to withstand external risks, the Philippines would be better served by prioritizing development over geopolitical maneuvering. History demonstrates that short-sighted actions only deepen uncertainty. Manila must reflect on what truly serves its long-term interests.

Neighborhood is immutable, and stable relations are essential. If genuinely committed to its people’s welfare and improved ties with China, the Philippines must address the root causes of tension, recalibrate its bilateral strategy, and cease provocations. China values Philippines’ stated desire for stability and dialogue but expects concrete actions to create conditions for meaningful cooperation.

(Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by People’s Daily to express its views on foreign policy and international affairs.)