China P&I Club Applies to Join International Group of Marine Insurers

The China Shipowners Mutual Assurance Association, known as China P&I Club (CPI), formally submitted its application to join the International Group of P&I Clubs (IG). If accepted, it would become the first mainland Chinese insurer to join the group, which brings together the world's leading protection and indemnity clubs.

The application was submitted on October 13, 2026, during a visit by a CPI delegation, led by its chairman Xu Lirong, to the IG's headquarters in London. The meeting was also attended by IG chairman Rolf Thore Roppestad and the group's chief executive, Nick Shaw, along with senior executives from member clubs. The IG confirmed receipt of the application and stated that it will be evaluated over the coming months in accordance with the agreed admission criteria, without this process affecting the P&I policy renewal scheduled for February 2027.

CPI is not starting from scratch in its relationship with the International Group: the Shanghai-based mutual is already an approved reinsured association within the IG's structure and maintains reinsurance agreements with several of its member clubs. The IG currently comprises 12 clubs that, according to Splash 247 and Xinde Marine News, together cover around 87% of the world's shipping tonnage, while Safety4Sea placed that coverage at more than 85% of global ocean-going tonnage.

Founded in Beijing in 1984 and now headquartered in Shanghai, CPI is China's largest P&I insurer and describes itself as the eighth largest in the world by entered tonnage. According to data as of February 2026, its portfolio included 2,199 vessels totaling 104.8 million gross tons. Its more than 200 members include China Cosco Shipping, China Merchants, Seaspan, PIL, CMA CGM, Costamare, Wan Hai and Zodiac Maritime, and the entity has branches in London, Singapore and Piraeus, as well as a network of 490 correspondents in 145 countries and regions.

That same afternoon, CPI hosted a reception in London attended by nearly 100 representatives from the international shipping, insurance and maritime sectors. Attendees included Xu Lirong, Zhao Fei, Minister at the Chinese Embassy in the United Kingdom, Roppestad, Shaw and Zhang Xiaojie, Director of the Conference Division at the International Maritime Organization. Xu described the global P&I system centered on the IG as a pillar of stability for international shipping, while Roppestad described the working relationship between the IG and CPI as positive.