China Shipowners Mutual Assurance Association, widely known as China P&I Club (CPI), formally submitted its application to join the International Group of P&I Clubs (IG) during a visit to the group’s London office on 13 October 2026. The application was presented at a meeting attended by CPI Chairman Xu Lirong, IG Chairman Rolf Thore Roppestad, IG Chief Executive Nick Shaw and senior executives from IG member clubs.

The IG has confirmed receipt of the application, noting that CPI is already an approved reinsured mutual association within its structure, with reinsurance arrangements involving several member clubs. It said the application would be assessed over the coming months against the objective admission criteria agreed by existing members and would not affect the 2027 renewal.

Later that evening, CPI hosted an international P&I gathering in London, bringing together nearly 100 representatives from shipping, shipbuilding, ports, insurance, broking, law, arbitration, classification and maritime information services. Alongside CPI and IG executives, participants included Zhao Fei, Minister at the Chinese Embassy in the United Kingdom, and Xiaojie Zhang, Director of the Conference Division at the International Maritime Organization.

Open competition and international cooperation

Addressing the gathering, Xu described the global P&I system centred on the IG as an essential pillar supporting the stability and prosperity of international shipping. He emphasised open competition, broad cooperation and shared opportunities, arguing that these principles underpin the vitality of marine insurance. With China a major market for trade, shipbuilding, shipping and associated industries, CPI was ready to work more closely with the IG and its member clubs to serve shipowners worldwide and contribute to the sustainable development of the global P&I system, he said.

Zhao highlighted the opportunities that China’s shipping development creates for cooperation with the United Kingdom in maritime trade and financial services. He said the Chinese government supports Chinese shipowners’ mutual insurance organisations in integrating more deeply into the international marine insurance market. Closer practical cooperation, he added, could help provide shipping with more stable and sustainable risk protection while supporting the safety, continuity and sustainability of international maritime transport.

Roppestad recognised the progress of China’s shipping and P&I sectors and said the IG valued its reinsurance relationship with CPI. He pointed to the maritime industry’s internationally recognised legal framework and the contribution of cooperation among governments and commercial organisations to improving safety at sea. He described the IG’s working relationship with CPI as positive and expressed his expectation of continued collaboration.

An established international membership and service network

Founded in Beijing in 1984 and now headquartered in Shanghai, CPI has developed a membership extending beyond China’s domestic shipping industry. As at 20 February 2026, its P&I portfolio comprised 2,199 vessels totalling 104.8 million gross tonnes. Its members include COSCO SHIPPING, China Merchants Group, Seaspan, CMA CGM, Costamare, Pacific International Lines and other shipping and financial leasing businesses. The association also reports a network of 490 correspondents across 145 countries and regions, supporting claims handling, loss prevention and compliance services.

Bing Chen, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Seaspan and a director of CPI, offered both a member’s and a board member’s perspective. He said Seaspan had benefited from CPI’s professional services, while his role on the board had allowed him to observe the association’s growth. CPI had maintained an open and forward-looking approach, expanded its capabilities and strengthened its global service network, he said. An institution able to build on its own strengths, adopt international best practice and connect different markets would have an increasingly important role in the industry.

The relationship with Seaspan also connects CPI to wider cooperation across the shipping value chain. On 29 April 2025, CPI signed a cooperation framework agreement with COSCO SHIPPING Lines and Seaspan in Shanghai. The partners identified the industry’s green and smart transition as a shared focus. That agreement provides an example of CPI working alongside both a liner operator and a shipowner as fleets and operating requirements evolve.

CPI Managing Director Song Chunfeng, Special Adviser Wu Chao, Deputy Managing Director Qiao Qing and Assistant Managing Director Chen Zhigao also participated in the London activities.

Seeking a closer role in the global P&I system

The IG currently comprises 12 independent mutual P&I clubs, which collectively provide marine liability cover for approximately 87% of the world’s ocean-going tonnage. Its structure combines competition between individual clubs with cooperation in sharing large claims, purchasing collective reinsurance and exchanging technical, legal and claims expertise. The clubs cover liabilities ranging from crew injury and cargo damage to pollution, wreck removal and damage to property, while the group also represents their collective interests in discussions with governments and international maritime bodies.

Against that background, CPI’s application can be seen as an effort to turn an established reinsurance relationship into a closer institutional role within the global P&I system. Its existing international membership and service network provide a practical basis for that ambition, while the admission process will determine the next stage of its relationship with the group.

For international shipowners, the importance of such cooperation lies in the ability to respond to liabilities that routinely cross national borders, involving vessels, crews, cargo interests, coastal authorities and legal systems in different jurisdictions. The London discussions brought those shared needs into focus. CPI said it would use the gathering to deepen communication with international partners, broaden its relationships and continue strengthening its capacity to serve members globally.