Bridging the UK with the Far East
CSAL connects the UK’s maritime services sector with market players in the Far East. Founded by British and Overseas Chinese shipping professionals, this combined network adds to London’s position as a leading global shipping hub.
Events coming soon...
CSAL is delighted to be planning events for 2024. We have planned an array of both digital and hybrid gatherings, scheduled to take place online and in the vibrant cities of London and Shanghai.
We extend a warm invitation to our community, as we eagerly anticipate the opportunity to reconnect. The events aim to facilitate meaningful interactions, fostering new relationships, and promoting the exchange of ideas, to explore the boundaries of our comfort zone, enriching our collective knowledge.
As we endeavour to create an environment of knowledge and collaboration, we earnestly request your presence and active participation.
Please check back soon or join our mailing list to receive information when it is ready.
2023 Recap
An insightful dialogue exploring changing global economic conditions and their impact on the shipping industry. Increasingly complex dynamics in the macro environment and shifting trade patterns are creating conditions which present both challenges and opportunities. Our panel of experts shared their analysis on navigating the market during these uncertain times.
CSAL supported a private dinner during Iron Ore Week in Singapore, attended by at least 12 trading house principals. The event focused on sharing information about the FFA industry’s state and discussing the incoming cap-and-trade EU ETS.
For London International Shipping Week, we are pleased to announce that we held a seminar and reception with overseas partners at One Great George Street. Click here to visit the event page.
Mission
Due to the nature of the founding of the Chinese Shipping Association of London (CSAL), our members inherently link Global Britain to the Far East; PRC, Hong Kong SAR and Macau SAR, Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam. As a group, we are a bridge between the UK’s maritime services sector and the Asian market, providing our members with a valuable network.
Our mission is to provide a platform for this existing network, and continue to grow its membership with high-level professionals and companies, and to be able to give future members exclusive access to influential market players.
We tackle the challenges of global fragmentation and internet decoupling by removing barriers to communication to overcome language and cultural differences. To achieve this, we organise events and webinars where members can engage in fruitful discussions and share their experiences.
Transparency
The Chinese Shipping Association of London’s focus is on shipping transportation issues, fostering cross-border collaboration for ethical business, cleaner oceans, improved supply chains, and the well-being of seafarers.
CSAL was formed in 2017 with support from the Baltic Exchange (as one of its societies) and COSCO UK, and registered in the UK in 2021 as an association.
We currently accept sponsorship on a per-event basis, while we plan to generate membership fees in the future for our ongoing activities.
CSAL Executive Committee
Zhang Yun
Zhang Yun is the Managing Director of EGPN Bulk Carrier Ltd, a UK and Hong Kong based Chinese ship owner, who has more than 25 years...
Zhang Yun is the Managing Director of EGPN Bulk Carrier Ltd, a UK and Hong Kong based Chinese ship owner, who has more than 25 years of work experience in dry bulk ship chartering , sales and purchase. EGPN now owns a fleet of 27 vessels and is still expanding in the field of dry bulk carriers and tankers.
Wei Hu
Director of Sinotrans UK, Hu Wei has worked in the shipping industry for more than 30 years. He started dry bulk ship chartering in Sinochart ...
Director of Sinotrans UK, Hu Wei has worked in the shipping industry for more than 30 years. He started dry bulk ship chartering in Sinochart Beijing in the early 90’s and came to work in London as the Chief Representative of Sinotrans Group in U.K. in 1999. He handled iron ore import shipments to China from India, nickel ore from Philippines and Indonesia to China and has gained great experience in the field of dry bulk shipping. He is now mainly concentrated in the sea freight and air freight business.
Eli Tchou
Formerly at the Baltic Exchange and TradeWinds, Eli has been involved in organising events and producing marketing content...
Formerly at the Baltic Exchange and TradeWinds, Eli has been involved in organising events and producing marketing content in the maritime industry for almost 15 years.
At TradeWinds, she was part of the team that produced the first Shipowners Forum in 2011 and also provided creative direction for general marketing such as TradeWinds’ 25th Anniversary activities. Later, she took on an editorial role as Art Director for the quarterly magazine TW+.
At the Baltic Exchange, Eli's responsibilities in marketing was during the time of ownership transition while organising up to 30 global events annually and hosting delegations.
Eli has completed a shipping economics course and took advantage of the exposure to freight derivatives to increase her knowledge.
Since the early days of CSAL, Eli took charge of marketing and event management for the association's launch.
Nick Woo
Nicholas is a Partner in Birketts’ Shipping and International Trade Team and an accredited CEDR (Council of Effective Dispute Resolution) ...
Nicholas is a Partner in Birketts’ Shipping and International Trade Team and an accredited CEDR (Council of Effective Dispute Resolution) Mediator.
Nicholas grew up in Singapore, obtained his LLB in England and was called to the Bar here in 1986. He qualified in Singapore as an Advocate and Solicitor the following year and practised in Singapore as a shipping litigator for five years. He then moved in-house working for a COSCO Singapore subsidiary where he gained valuable commercial experience. London beckoned and Nicholas qualified as an English solicitor in 1996. He was made a Partner in 2001, the first ethnic Chinese to be appointed as a partner in a major shipping law firm in London. Nicholas retired as Head of Birketts’ Shipping and International Trade Team in 2020. He has helped it grow from two fee-earners when he joined in 2004 to eleven fee-earners today.
Nicholas is a specialist in all areas of ‘dry’ shipping litigation with particular knowledge of shipping in Singapore, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and China. He also has some contacts with the Indian and Japanese shipping industry. He makes regular visits to these countries every year. Working for COSCO Shipping and spending many years representing other Chinese clients has helped Nicholas develop his ability to take instructions, give advice and lecture on English shipping law in fluent Mandarin.
Nicholas is based at Birketts’ Ipswich office.
Lianghui Xia
Lianghui Xia has 20 years of experience in commercial roles across prominent shipowners and shipbroking firms in Oslo, Copenhagen and ...
Lianghui Xia has 20 years of experience in commercial roles across prominent shipowners and shipbroking firms in Oslo, Copenhagen, and Shanghai, including Maersk Tankers, RS Platou, Lorentzen & Stemoco, and Optima Shipbrokers. Xia boasts expertise in asset management, sales and purchase (S&P), newbuilding, and chartering projects. Holding an MSc degree in Marketing from Norwegian Business School BI, Xia joined Newport Shipping UK in April 2018 to lead sales processes. He also serves as Board Member of Sea-LNG, further underlining his commitment to the maritime industry.
Henry Guo
Henry was the former Head of Chartering and Raw Materials of ArcelorMittal Shipping in London, one of the largest shipping ...
Henry was the former Head of Chartering and Raw Materials of ArcelorMittal Shipping in London, one of the largest shipping charterers in the world. With almost 20 years of experience in Drybulk Shipping both shore-based and at sea, he worked as shipping principal, broker and deck-officer as well. Henry has a MSc in Maritime Operations and Management at City University of London, and he was one of the earliest co-founders of CSAL and current CSAL committee member.
Historical Highlights
Townhall
In late 2016, British and Overseas Chinese shipping professionals self-organised a town hall meeting attended by over 50 people. They identified a significant communication gap between the maritime communities of the UK and China due to language, cultural and communication platforms differences, and the lack of opportunities for interaction. Thus CSAL was formed to address this gap.
Inaugural event
CSAL's inaugural event was held at Baltic Exchange's iconic location at 38 St Mary Axe in 2017. The seminar featured renowned speakers such as Simon Young, then Head of Cosco UK, maritime expert Martin Stopford and representatives from both the physical and paper markets. Attendees had the opportunity to participate in a panel discussion before networking over drinks.
Gatherings
CSAL has hosted a variety of informal gatherings through 2017-2019, including a British and Chinese wines tasting event co-hosted with the London Maritime Arbitration Association, a karaoke night that was mentioned in TradeWinds, and a festive Chinese New Year dinner buffet. Each event provided a fun and relaxing atmosphere, fostering new connections and strengthening existing ones.
LISW 2019
CSAL was approached by Maritime London and the Department for International Trade to help organise an event aimed at matching maritime service providers with potential clients during London International Shipping Week in 2019. The event was held at the Leadenhall Building, also known as the Cheesegrater, and CSAL provided industry knowledge and contacts, which resulted in high attendance by buyers from overseas.
Growth
In 2021, CSAL registered as a not-for-profit entity with Directors chosen from the initial group of volunteer executive committee members. In 2023, CSAL came out of hiatus with a series of digital and IRL events as well as recruited new Board Members and executive colleagues following a seminar and reception during London International Shipping Week 2023.
Contact
We value your feedback! If you have any comments or concerns, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us through the contact form on our website.
We are also calling for sponsors for our next events in 2024. Contact us to discuss opportunities to get involved.
