The World Shipping (China) Summit 2013 will be held in Ningbo on Nov 6-8.

Centered upon the theme of "Responding to New Realities", the summit will provide a high-profile platform for industry leaders and shipping professionals to get together to discuss issues of concern.

It will also address current challenges faced by the industry to achieve healthy, sustainable and long-term development goals.

In the past nine years, China Ocean Shipping (Group) Company, Drewry, Maritime China and the JOC (Journal of Commerce) co-organized the "World Shipping (China) Summits" in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Tianjin, Dalian, Qingdao, Guangzhou, Boao and Xiamen.

The summit was attended each year by hundreds of influential leaders from the maritime world, including shipping carriers, port operators, shipbuilders, government officials, scholars, bankers, lawyers and other related industry professionals.

This year's summit includes a number of varied sessions such as keynote speeches, professional forums and special panel discussions.

The summit will introduce for the first time a "1 to 2 dialogue" panel to highlight topics of major concern.

The summit aims to encourage two-way communication and in-depth dialog among speakers, panelists, moderators and other participants.