The Red Boat Reflects the Original Aspiration, the Azure Writes the Commitment—China Classification Society Zhejiang Branch Leads High-Quality Development with High-Quality Party Building

In early autumn, the morning rays of Ningbo Zhoushan Port leap over the sea surface, spreading across the vast blue waves. Zhejiang Province Party representative and ship surveyor Zhu Tongwen from the Zhejiang Branch of the China Classification Society (referred to as Zhejiang Branch) climbs aboard a ship via the gangway, seizing the brief window while the vessel docks to carry out inspection work... The same figure can be seen shuttling between islands and waterways. This group of ship inspectors stationed along the East China Sea diligently safeguards maritime safety with their technical expertise, supporting the dream of strengthening the nation through ocean development with solid efforts.

The Zhejiang spirit of "truth-seeking and practicality, integrity and harmony, openness and strength" has always inspired Zhejiang residents to strive for progress and innovation, also motivating transportation professionals in Zhejiang. As the unit of the China Classification Society based in Zhejiang, the Zhejiang Branch has consistently adhered to the instructions to "work in earnest, lead the forefront, and rise to challenges." They embrace a practice-oriented, results-first approach, actively exploring ways to promote high-quality development through high-quality Party building. In concrete actions that continue the Red Boat spirit, they transform the strengths of Party building into service efficiencies and development momentum.

Forging a Red Heart to Set the Course

Adhering to Party leadership is the fundamental guarantee for promoting high-quality development. Zhejiang Branch consistently integrates Party building with business planning, deployment, advancement, and assessment. By embedding political construction throughout their ship inspection duties, they focus Party building efforts on serving national strategies, ensuring maritime safety, supporting resilient shipping development, promoting smart and green shipping development, and empowering industrial upgrades. They have established a robust system where the Party committee guides the direction, oversees the big picture, ensures implementation; branches focus on groundwork, tackling challenges, enhancing progress; and Party members serve as pioneers, role models, and bear responsibilities. This high-quality service contributes to the broader industrial development agenda in the region, assisting Zhejiang's shipbuilding industry transformation and green development of the shipping industry.

In July, the Zhejiang Branch visited the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Ocean Economy Development and submitted recommendations regarding accelerating the transformation of Zhoushan's shipbuilding industry and promoting the integration of Zhejiang's shipbuilding and shipping industries. These recommendations were based on the Branch's "taking grassroots approaches" initiative, involving in-depth surveys at shipyards and shipping companies, gathering feedback, and understanding industry development needs, all aligned with local economic development plans. To enhance inspection service efficiency in the Yangtze River Delta Region, the Zhejiang Branch joined forces with the Shanghai and Jiangsu branches through Party building collaboration, creating a synergistic mechanism for shared talent development, technical research, and business promotion. Transitioning from "guarding one area" to "serving the overall landscape," the Zhejiang Branch is actively engaged in practical efforts to support high-quality development of the marine economy.

Executing pilot tasks for building a strong transportation nation is crucial for accelerating the progress toward this goal. To assist with the pilot initiative of "innovating and applying ship inspection models," Zhejiang Branch, under the leadership of the China Classification Society headquarters, leveraged frontline inspection advantages and formed a technical task force. They explored new technologies based on inspection practices, integrating self-developed drones, 5G technology, and intelligent image recognition into inspection processes, significantly improving efficiency and cutting costs. By 2025, the pilot task was successfully accredited by the Ministry of Transport and recognized as a prominent achievement in the effort to build a strong transportation nation. By July 2026, two services involving carbon footprint certification and digital inspection, led by the Zhejiang Branch's technical team, were included in the "Developing Digital Classification Societies" pilot outcomes, establishing a positive cycle where Party building fosters technological innovation, and innovation empowers business quality enhancements.

Providing safety assurance for water transport is a critical mission for ship inspectors. Utilizing Party member posts and designated responsibility zones, Zhejiang Branch has established a 24/7 emergency response mechanism to ensure ship operations. Addressing passenger ferry safety as a key public concern, Zhejiang Branch included shipping safety checks during peak travel periods in their service projects for public welfare. During major travel periods like the Spring Festival, Labor Day, and National Day, inspection teams are dispatched to conduct safety checks and eliminate hazards on high-speed passenger ships, roll-on-roll-off passenger ships, and inland water ferries in their jurisdiction. Collaborating with local authorities, they set up shared governance mechanisms for water safety, jointly reinforcing maritime transportation safety defenses, safeguarding citizens' travel, and demonstrating the mission of "transportation for the people" through the steadfast commitment of Party members.

Venturing into the Deep Blue with Responsibility, Pursuing Green and Smart Forward

Zhejiang is a pioneer in reform and opening-up. The courageous innovation gene, nurtured under the Red Boat spirit, continues to thrive. Following the Ministry of Transport and the China Classification Society's requirements on green shipping transformation and building digital ship inspection systems, Zhejiang Branch has made green and intelligent inspection their main focus under Party building empowerment. They have established a technological innovation platform, continuously making breakthroughs in low-carbon and digital inspection for ships, allowing green innovation to accelerate forward.

From the nation's first 100-kilowatt marine hydrogen fuel cell power system to the first domestic shipborne carbon capture system utilizing high-speed centrifugal decarbonization technology, a series of "firsts" have emerged here. In March, Zhejiang Branch issued the country's first carbon footprint certificate for ship repairs to the "Harvest Sea" vessel managed by Zhoushan COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry Co., Ltd.

These groundbreaking achievements are not only advancements in technology but also vivid reflections of Party leadership driving innovation, Party members leading challenges, and empowerment of the industry's green transformation.

At the end of 2025, Zhejiang Branch issued the world's first digital ship inspection "DDV" notation to the Ningbo Ocean Shipping Co.'s "New Mingzhou 106" vessel. This May, Zhejiang Branch issued China’s first and the world's largest pure electric smart cargo ship, the "Ningyuan Electric Kun" vessel, with a "Statement of Compliance for Digital Inspection." Using real-time data collection and analysis, inspectors are able to remotely monitor the condition of onboard equipment, enabling ship-shore data sharing and intelligent evaluation. This significantly reduces inspection waiting times and operational costs, providing a new technical pathway for ship life cycle management. It is also another result of Zhejiang Branch’s concentrated efforts to develop digital classification societies and advance intelligent ship inspection technologies and practical applications.

Craftsmanship Guards Maritime Safety, Forging a Robust Team

How can Party building and business deeply integrate and mutually promote each other? Zhejiang Branch searches for answers through practice. They emphasize enhancing the political and organizational functions of grassroots Party organizations, utilizing Party branches as commanding fortresses and Party members as exemplary models at the forefront of major projects and industry service chains. The "Red Boat Leads, Blue Waves Peaceful" Party building brand has gradually gained prominence, forming a “Craftsmanship+” branch matrix.

"More united, more professional, more pragmatic, more efficient, more enthusiastic, and more advanced"—these were the service commitments made by Zhejiang Branch's product Party branch since its inception. Keeping this promise over 14 years, the Product Division has worked hand-in-hand with Zhejiang's ship equipment industry, walking a path of green, digital, and autonomous innovation. This partnership nurtured the “Craftsmanship·Red Chain” specialized Party branch. Addressing small and micro businesses’ technological needs in their jurisdiction, the Product Division established targeted assistance mechanisms, aided new product development, jointly researched regulatory requirements, and resolved new technology challenges through tailored solutions for each company. This red bond links the shipbuilding industry chain, safeguarding the high-quality development of the industry and supply chains.

"Bringing units with distinct responsibilities together can more effectively enhance service efficiency." In 2023, the Zhejiang Branch's Operations Party Branch and five other units, including Ningbo Maritime Safety Administration, initiated the creation of the "Yonghai Pioneer" Party building brand. The number of members has since expanded to seven entities and nine Party branches. Covering all management departments and service agencies related to ships, the brand's inception was inspired by the pilot reform of "one ship, multiple certificates, one-stop service" in Ningbo, greatly reducing operational costs for shipping companies and providing successful experience for cross-unit, cross-sector coordination to "efficiently achieve one task." This reform was included in the State Council General Office's "2026 Annual First-Batch Key Matters List for ‘Efficiently Achieve One Task’" in January 2026.

Talent is the foremost resource. Zhejiang Branch’s Party committee insists on Party-led talent management, integrating workforce development into Party building efforts while fostering a practice-oriented environment for young talents to refine themselves in frontline positions. They adopt a "one expertise, multiple abilities" training program, achieving close to 40% cross-disciplinary qualifications among inspectors. Zhejiang Branch also focuses on cultivating an international talent pool; over 30 inspectors have overseas work experience. According to reporters, Zhejiang Branch has further improved management regulations for research work and incentive mechanisms, establishing a new inspection technology innovation workshop dedicated to training innovative talents and encouraging youth to hone their skills in real-world scenarios. To boost the efficiency of approval services, the approval Party branch has implemented a “Mentorship and Practical Training System,” pairing technical experts with young employees to blend Party character cultivation with intensive skill development. This comprehensive approach nurtures young talents and significantly enhances efficiency in approval work, earning repeated praise from companies. The growth and transformation of this team exemplify Zhejiang Branch’s vibrant practice of strengthening business through Party building and honing talent through business.

Promoting high-quality development through high-quality Party building has always been achieved through practical and grounded efforts. In recent years, Zhejiang Branch has been honored with numerous awards, including "National Civilized Unit," "National Advanced Collective in the Transportation Industry," and "Advanced Grassroots Party Organization within the Ministry of Transport System." Behind each accolade lies Zhejiang Branch’s commitment to Party-led efforts that inspire cadres and employees to embrace truth-seeking, practicality, and earnest work.

Against the backdrop of surging waves in the East China Sea, the courageous advance continues; the commitment to the original mission remains steadfast, navigating forward toward the ocean. Standing at a new starting point, Zhejiang Branch is dedicated to its role as the "main force of national ship inspection," continuing to write a new chapter in accelerating the progress of building a transportation powerhouse and a maritime powerhouse.