The China Navigation Company Limited (CNCo) is a London-based holding company of merchant shipping companies Swire Shipping Pte Ltd and Swire Bulk Pte Ltd, both of which are headquartered in Singapore.

thumb|The Swire flag is also the house flag of the China Navigation Company

CNCo is a subsidiary of Swire. Swire Shipping was formerly known as the China Navigation Company until October 2021, when it was renamed.

History

1872–1945: Yangtze River origins

thumb|[[Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company|Scotts of Greenock, Scotland built the coastal steamship SS Shenking for CNCo in 1931]]

thumb|Taikoo Dockyard built in Hong Kong in 1934. She was SS Shengkings [[sister ship.]]

Founded in London in 1872 by John Samuel Swire, CNCo was established with the intent of providing paddle steamer services on the Yangtze River. The company was started with an initial investment of £360,000 provided primarily by John Samuel Swire and William Hudson Swire, along with other shareholders, including the father of James Henry Scott of Scotts' Shipbuilding.

John Swire and Sons (JS&S) initially commissioned the construction of three ships for trade on the Lower Yangtze in 1873. That same year, they also purchased the Union Steam Navigation Company, which included CNCo's first two ships, Tunsin and Glengyle, along with property leases in Shanghai and other river ports. The company faced intense competition, rate wars, and entered into pool agreements with rival firms, reflecting the volatile nature of the Chinese shipping industry in the late 19th century.

CNCo's fleet grew to 29 ships by 1894, serving an extensive network of ports across Asia and other regions.

In 1940, the CNCo fleet was requisitioned by the British Government during the World War II, while CNCo maintained its operations from an office in Bombay.

1945–present: Post World War II

CNCo re-entered the trade in the 1950s and began new trading routes in the region, from Australia to Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Islands. Its global liner operations, and all existing ship-owning and operating activities, are being managed out of the new office in Singapore. The office opening ceremony in 2010 was attended by Lim Hwee Hua, then Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister for Finance and Transport.

In 2012, CNCo established Swire Bulk to manage its dry bulk shipping activities, and in 2021, separated it to focus on liner shipping and fleet management.

In 2014, CNCo acquired New Zealand-based Pacifica Shipping.

In 2020, CNCo launched Swire Projects to provide specialised project cargo shipping services.

In 2021, CNCo rebranded as Swire Shipping.

Current fleet list

Swire Shipping

MIHOS

  • Kokopo Chief

PACIFIC CLASS

  • Apia Chief
  • Hoihow
  • MS Changsha
  • SS Hanyang ( built 1940 was involved in early Pacific war efforts to supply the Philippines and Netherlands East Indies from Australia and later operated under U.S. Army control as part of the Southwest Pacific Area permanent local fleet as X-8 from 24 March 1942—August 1945.)
  • MV Eredine (sold)
  • MV Erradale
  • SS Shengking
  • (sunk by enemy action)
  • MV Soochow (also known as Maersk Asia Decimo)
  • MS Taiyuan
  • SS Wang Phu
  • SS Wu Chang
  • MV Wulin
  • SS Yochow ( built 1938 was involved in early Pacific war efforts to supply the Philippines and Netherlands East Indies from Australia and later operated under U.S. Army control as part of the Southwest Pacific Area permanent local fleet as X-7 from 11 April 1942—December 1945.)

References

Further reading

  • In China Seas: A History of the China Navigation Company (1964, China Navigation Company Ltd)
  • The China Navigation Company Limited: A Pictorial History, 1872-2012, Charlotte Bleasdale (2012, Swire)
  • The China Navigation Company: 150 Years - an Anthology (2022)
  • Company website
  • WikiSwire website