LONDON - China has an important role to play in strengthening global maritime cooperation and advancing the sustainable development of the shipping industry, International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez has said.

Dominguez made the remarks in an interview with Xinhua on Tuesday on the sidelines of an inauguration ceremony for the Permanent Mission of the People's Republic of China to the IMO, held at the Chinese Embassy in Britain.

"China is a country that has a great participation in the shipping sector," he said. As one of the world's leading shipbuilding countries, home to some of the largest ports and major shipping companies, and a major provider of seafarers, China contributes across the entire maritime value chain, he added.

These strengths, Dominguez noted, enable China to help the global maritime community attract a new generation of talent and further enhance the sector's credibility, not only in terms of safety and security, but also in advancing sustainability.

"So it's a big role that China has to play with us," he said.

He added that the establishment of China's permanent mission to the IMO demonstrates China's strong commitment to supporting the organization's work in areas such as digitalization, decarbonization, improving safety, promoting diversity and inclusion, and advancing seafarer training.

"This will only reinforce China's participation in sharing experience with IMO," Dominguez said.

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The IMO is the United Nations specialized agency with responsibility for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine and atmospheric pollution by ships.

The organization currently has 176 members. China has been one of the 10 Category A members of the IMO Council since 1989.