Joining the WTO and hosting the 2008 Olympic Games----the two events should anchor China''''s stability and reform

What drives a country is mostly its national psyche. China's jubilation in winning the 2008 Olympic Games should be viewed in relation to the Chinese psyche. For the first time, the globe's greatest sports event will be brought to the world's most populous country. The successes in economic development over the past two decades have greatly lifted Chinese people's expectations about what is possible. They     

On the nature and sorces of controversy in the economic analysis of the liner shipping industry†

The simulations performed show that demand for quality tankers has to increase by 30% for a two-tier tanker market to emerge. The two-tier freight structure will only last for 3–5 years due to contracting induced by higher freight rates. This means that OPA does not by itself result in higher freight rates for tankers that comply with the requirements. If Western Europe also closes their trades to substandard tankers, a two-tier market emerges and quality tankers obtain a premium. The paper presents a simulation model for international tanker markets. The non-linear complementary equilibrium model solves for a sequence of static equilibria in segmented tanker freight markets, shipbuilding and scrapping markets. Freight markets are segmented according to quality requirements for tankers. The model specifies three tanker classes and one—quality tankers—can operate both market segments.     

Science and technologyis the key to successfor China shipbuildingindustry

~~Science and technologyis the key to successfor China shipbuildingindustry     

The UN’s 2030 Agenda for sustainable development and the maritime transport domain: the role and challenges of IMO and its stakeholders through a grounded theory perspective

In September 2015, the United Nations (UN) officially adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development together with 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) (UN, 2016). The attainment of the SDGs requires a strong commitment by all UN Member States, not least by the Member States at the International Maritime Organization (IMO). This empirical research aims to identify the role and challenges of stakeholders at IMO, when implementing the UN’s 2030 Agenda in the international maritime transport domain using a grounded theory approach. This paper describes the methodology and the analytical process undertaken and presents the main findings based on empirical data. The results are presented as a set of six propositions. The first proposition presents the phenomena engulfing Member States at IMO stemming out from lack of knowledge and policy incoherency on the 2030 Agenda at national level. The other five propositions suggest how these challenges could potentially be best alleviated through an IMO-led strategy on sustainable development within the context of the 2030 Agenda, supported by an appropriate governance structure that sees the introduction of strategic actors for coordinating the implementation of the SDGs at national level. With the support of a Task Force, and by also making use of the IMO Member State Audit Scheme (IMSAS), to create more awareness and ownership, the strategic actors could work towards balancing the three dimensions of sustainable development—the economic, the environmental, and the social dimensions—which were found to be imbalanced in the international maritime transport domain.     

Research on the influence of action between fin and anti-rolling tank on the integrated stabilization effect

Through analyzing the roll model of the integrated system of fin and anti-rolling tank, this paper uses binomial equation to simplify the module and check how the approximate parameters simulate the original function. Based on the simplified module, the influence of fin and anti-rolling tank on the coefficient items of the roll module is discussed, and the influencing factors between fin and anti-rolling tank are analysed. And through simulation, the influence of action between fin and anti-rolling tank on the static characteristics, and the integrated stabilization effect, are analyzed.     

Prediction methods for the surf-riding threshold and the wave-blocking threshold based on Melnikov’s method

A ship operating in following and/or quartering seas may be susceptible to broaching-to preceded by the surf-riding phenomenon. Therefore, for the safety assessment of fast vessels such as destroyers and patrol craft, the estimation of the surf-riding condition is important. As shown by previous research, there are two boundaries for ship motion in following and quartering seas. These are the surf-riding threshold and wave-blocking threshold. In this study, the theoretical methods to estimate both boundaries are obtained by making use of Melnikov’s method. In order to validate the formulae, free-running model experiments are conducted in the towing tank. Comparisons between the results obtained from calculations and experiments show good agreement. It is concluded that the formulae based on Melnikov’s method could be applicable to the safety assessment of surface ships.     

Effects of the ‘Belt and Road’ initiative on the wine import logistics of China

China’s Belt and Road (BR) initiative is expected to facilitate international trade between the countries involved. In this study, we review the special requirements of wine logistics and the market growth potential of wine consumption in China. A model minimizing generalized logistical costs is developed and applied to wine imports in China, so that the best candidate cities in which to locate transport gateways and distribution centers can be identified. Our analysis suggests that the most preferred gateways are Shanghai, Tianjin, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong, which all have similar delivery costs. In comparison, Beijing and Chongqing have much higher delivery costs, mainly because they do not have good access to marine transport and/or efficient domestic distribution networks. For long-distance intercontinental transport of large volumes of wine, marine shipping remains the only viable delivery mode. However, wine distribution within China extensively uses air, road, and water transport. Therefore, cities with excellent multi-modal transport services are better positioned to become wine logistics gateways. Our study also highlights the importance of value-added services and good government support, which are important factors that influence distribution costs and quality.     

The status quo of RMB and the forecast of its future

A sensible currency policy is one of the most important ways a country controls its economy.     

How do the new shipping routes affect Asian liquefied natural gas markets and economy? Case of the Northern Sea Route and Panama Canal expansion

This study focuses on the expected impact of Northern Sea Route (NSR) usage and the Panama Canal (PC) expansion on liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports of Asian countries, from not only the macroeconomic viewpoint but also diversification of the supplying countries. First, the amounts saved from shipping costs due to these events are estimated, based on scenarios on the navigable period of the NSR, transit fee of the NSR considering the exchange rate between the Russian ruble and US dollar, and bunker fuel price. Second, a spatial general equilibrium model based on macroeconomic theory is applied to predict changes in LNG trade patterns and measure economic impacts due to the reduction of shipping costs. Finally, the impacts of NSR usage as well as the PC expansion on LNG imports of Asian countries are discussed based on the calculations. The results show that diversification of supplying countries for LNG imports can be observed, especially in Japan, the largest LNG importer in the world, and other Asian countries are secondarily affected by changes in Japan’s import pattern, with limited impacts on these countries’ national economies.     

The Present Situation and Future Prospect of the World Shipping Industry

Ⅰ. Shipping After entering into the 1990's, the ship-building industry, badly affected by the long recession of the world shipping market, has been growing very slowly, while the competition has been a fierce one. From the shares enjoyed by the major shipping countries in the world, we can see that the first one is Japan which occupied 38%; South Korea came to the second,obtaining 15％; the third is Germany, being 8%. The shipbuilding industry in America is shrinking, owing to the high cost of production. Up to 1993,Japanese ship yards had still been in difficult situation, and many Japanese ship owners would rather order new ships from South Korea because the rising value of Japanese yen made it expensive to build in domestic yards. Nowadays, Japanese shipbuilding industry is exposed to the problem of scarce of labour force. The Korean shipbuilding industry, whose     

The Present Situation and Future Development of Container Ports in the World

The Improvement of Port Management Stimulated by the Development of Container Traffic Container transport started to flourish in the 70s and grew rapidly. Comparing the traffic volume of 1990 with that of 1975, the Japanese ports handled 7. 82 million TEUs in 1990 and 1.87 million TEUs in 1975 while the "Four Small Dragonsnhandied 18. 10 million TEUs in 1990 and 1.68 million TEUs in 1975,4.2 times and 10.75 times increase respectively.     

What can me learn from the accidents to Concorde and Kursk?

Part one Concorde-a story of State Owned Enterprises.... In the mythology of the ancient Greeks, from whom all the: "western" civilisations are descended, Achilles was the greatest warrior hero. He had an unfair advantage, because when he was a baby his mother, on the advice of a god, had dipped him in the river Styx, which rnagically made it impossible for any weapon to harm him. However, his mother     

Does the political and economic context influence the success of a transport project? An analysis of transport public-private partnerships

The construction and provision of infrastructure services such as transport nowadays is often based on a partnership between three main actors: public sector, private sector and multilateral lenders, under a framework of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs). This type of partnership has been employed in a wide range of projects in the transport sector and in various contexts in developing and developed countries. Given this observation, the objective of this paper is to examine how countries’ economic and political characteristics contribute to the success of PPPs in transport investments. Special focus in the analysis is given to how the perception of corruption and democratic accountability may influence the success of a PPP project in different transport sectors. We examine a database with 856 transport PPP projects using a generalized linear model in the form of a logit model in order to evaluate the transport database covering data from 72 countries, classified in six regions. The study highlights the importance of national experience. Not only does national macroeconomic experience appear to have a relevant role, but so also does its past experience (either positive or negative) of transport PPP projects. An interesting finding from the analysis is the importance of the rest of the world’s perception of a country’s level of corruption and democratic accountability for the final outcome of a PPP project.     

Electric Propulsion and Dynamic Positioning Significantly Improve the Total Performance of a Ship

In 1935, the Nomandie won the Blue Ribbon for a transatlantic crossing at 30.31 knots, with a 120,000kW electric propulsion system supplied by ALSTOM. Since then, the advance of power electronics mainly in the field of AC drives has allowed more ships to befitted with electric propulsion. This paper describes the ALSTOM products used in the Diesel-electric propulsion system, Mermaid Pod system, dynamic positioning system and their influences on the ship performances.     

Is the bus transport contracting system in South Africa leading to trusting relationships between contracted parties? An analysis of funding issues and the impact on relations between government and operators

The 1996 South African White Paper on National Transport policy provided the guidelines for the restructuring of the commuter bus industry. The restructuring objectives were based on improving the competitiveness of and service levels within the industry through a competitive tendering regime, the selective implementation of negotiated contracts and the general transformation of the industry to also include improved transparency in the funding arrangements between government and operators.In order to set the context of the paper, a brief overview is provided of the progress made with policy implementation and the background to funding issues that are experienced in the bus transport sector. To gauge the impact of the funding issues on the relationship between government and operators, a survey of the largest contracted operators was undertaken to determine, amongst other, how these funding issues have potentially impacted on trusting relationships between contracted parties.     

Papahānaumokuākea: Integrating Culture in the Design and Management of one of the World's Largest Marine Protected Areas

Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument is one of the world's largest marine protected areas and was designated the first mixed conservation site in the United States due to its natural and cultural importance. It is also the world's first cultural seascape, being recognized for its continuing connections to indigenous people. As the westernmost place in the Hawaiian universe, many believe these islands and seas are the pathway that Native Hawaiians travel after death, returning to pō (night; realm of the gods). This intimate kinship has profound implications for contemporary management. Current management emphasizes integration of science, policy, cultural knowledge, traditions, and practices to create successful management strategies appropriate for both natural and cultural resources. This management is based on Native Hawaiian values and practices that incorporate observation and understanding of the natural world, indigenous principles and philosophies, cultural norms, community relationships, and unique epistemologies deeply imbedded in and formed by relationships of people with place. A cornerstone of this effort has been the direct involvement of cultural practitioners in policy, management, education, and research. This biocultural approach has led to more effective management of the monument and serves as a model for conservation around the world.     

Regulations for Inspection of Vessels Engaged in International Voyages Entering and/or Leaving the Ports of the People's Republic of China

Article 1 The present regulations are formulated for the purposes of strengthening the control over vessels engaged in international voyages entering and/or leaving the ports of the People's Republic of China, facilitating vessels entering and/or leaving the ports and of enhancing port efficiency.     

Build the First Largest Bridge of China and Create a Constructionof Fine Quality of the Century——A brief account of theconstruction of the infrastructure of the main bridge of Jiangyin Yangtze River Highway Bridgc

国家主席江泽民题写桥名并出席通车仪式的“江阴大桥”是主跨为1 385m，一跨过长江，中国第一、世界第四的钢悬索特大公路桥。本文综述了中港二航局在承建大桥下部结构(A标、B标)的施工中，根据工程规模大、合同期短、技术含量高、地质条件复杂、施工难度大等特点，运用系统工程原理，健全质量保证体系，坚持技术领先，优化要素配置，精心雕塑中国第一大桥，取得单位工程质量评比全优的佳绩。     

Application of the optimal Latin hypercube design and radial basis function network to collaborative optimization

Improving the efficiency of ship optimization is crucial for modern ship design. Compared with traditional methods, multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO) is a more promising approach. For this reason, Collaborative Optimization (CO) is discussed and analyzed in this paper. As one of the most frequently applied MDO methods, CO promotes autonomy of disciplines while providing a coordinating mechanism guaranteeing progress toward an optimum and maintaining interdisciplinary compatibility. However, there are some difficulties in applying the conventional CO method, such as difficulties in choosing an initial point and tremendous computational requirements. For the purpose of overcoming these problems, optimal Latin hypercube design and Radial basis function network were applied to CO. Optimal Latin hypercube design is a modified Latin Hypercube design. Radial basis function network approximates the optimization model, and is updated during the optimization process to improve accuracy. It is shown by examples that the computing efficiency and robustness of this CO method are higher than with the conventional CO method.