Group Chairman Li Jianhong, member of the CPPCC National Committee, received an interview by China Ship News. He said that China Merchants Group would continue to play a leading role as a central SOE and join hands with enterprises in the industry to contribute to the healthy development of China's cruise industry.

Li Jianhong stated that the impact of the epidemic on the cruise industry should be viewed dialectically. The cruise economy has been significantly affected by the epidemic. However, this impact is temporary and periodic, and the sound development trend of the global cruise industry in the long-term will not change. The core business of China Merchants Group is concentrated on comprehensive transportation, featured finance, comprehensive urban and industrial park development, which run through the entire cruise industry chain. This has provided CMG with a favourable industrial collaboration foundation for developing the cruise industry. In recent years, CMG has taken cruise industry as the main focus for the setup of consumer business and the promotion of technological transformation and upgrading, and is committed to building a cruise industry "ecosystem" integrating cruise homeport, cruise operation, cruise manufacturing and cruise supporting facilities and services. Li Jianhong added that, in 2019, the number of cruise ships and passengers received by cruise ports under CMG accounted for 79% and 84% of the country's total scale, making CMG the largest cruise port operating entity in China. Besides, CMG delivered China's first polar expedition cruise vessel, breaking the monopoly of European cruise ship construction.