China and Seychelles Plan to Deepen Cooperation on Smart Ports and Civil Aviation Connectivity

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On the morning of September 24, Liu Wei, Minister of Transport of China, met in Beijing with Veronique Laporte, Minister of Transport, Ports and Civil Aviation of Seychelles. The two sides exchanged views on cooperation in the transport sector, including maritime shipping, ports, civil aviation and maritime safety. The meeting took place during the Global Sustainable Transport Forum (2026), which Laporte attended in China at the head of a Seychelles delegation. The forum was held in Beijing from September 21 to 23, and Seychelles representatives took part in the plenary session and other activities.

The Chinese side proposed continuing to deepen maritime shipping cooperation between the two countries and conducting exchanges of experience in areas such as shipping logistics and green, low-carbon transport, while also advancing China-Seychelles civil aviation exchanges. In terms of maritime transport support, the two sides' future cooperation areas also include maritime search and rescue, emergency response and transport capacity building, with cooperation covering port and shipping operations, safety assurance and personnel capacity improvement.

During the talks, the Seychelles side identified smart port development and civil aviation connectivity as key areas for future cooperation. In terms of smart ports, the two sides can further exchange views on port digitalization, operations management and related technical capabilities; in the civil aviation sector, they will continue to advance air transport links and related business cooperation between the two countries. The publicly available information from this meeting did not disclose specific port construction projects, investment amounts, equipment procurement scale or new route arrangements.

The year 2026 marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Seychelles. This transport sector meeting continues the intergovernmental exchanges between the two sides this year. Liu Wei visited Seychelles in June this year to attend its 50th independence anniversary celebrations. Following this visit to China by Seychelles' transport authorities, the two sides have further focused their transport cooperation on specific areas including maritime shipping, smart ports, civil aviation connectivity and maritime emergency support.

The Global Sustainable Transport Forum (2026) was hosted by the Ministry of Transport of China, with topics covering transport connectivity, green transformation, artificial intelligence applications and inclusive transport. Laporte previously spoke at the forum's plenary session, joining heads of transport authorities from multiple countries.