STORY: See how pilot works at China's Tianjin Port
SHOOTING TIME: Dec. 2, 2023
DATELINE: Dec. 7, 2023
LENGTH: 00:02:59
LOCATION: TIANJIN, China
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of boarding process at Tianjin Port
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): WANG HUI, Xinhua correspondent
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): ZHANG JIANG, Pilot
4. various of boarding process
5. SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): WANG HUI, Xinhua correspondent
6. SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): ZHANG JIANG, Pilot
7. various of boarding process
8. various of Tianjin Port

STORYLINE:

Upon docking at a port, ships are welcomed by the pilot, and as they depart, the final farewell is bid by the same person.

At Tianjin Port in north China, a world-level seafaring hub, the pilot team is responsible for pilotage service to all foreign ships sailing through the port around the clock, winter or summer, rain or shine.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): WANG HUI, Xinhua correspondent
"The temperature this evening is extremely low, and I've put on clothes as much as possible.
What kind of ship are we going to deal with?"

SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): ZHANG JIANG, Pilot
"Today, we are going to deal with a container ship from the Mediterranean. The size of the ship is not very large. The boarding operation is one of the riskiest part of a pilot's job. They are making larger and taller ships, prolonging our boarding process. Under windy or adverse weather conditions, we would face higher risks."

According to Chinese laws and regulations, vessels of foreign nationalities entering and leaving a harbor of China must be navigated by a pilot designated by the competent authority.

SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): WANG HUI, Xinhua correspondent
"What do pilots do after boarding the ship?"

SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): ZHANG JIANG, Pilot
"After boarding, pilots would have a brief exchange of information with the captain regarding the details of berth, tugboat, and waterway. After that, the captain renders control of the vessel to the pilot. The most experienced pilot is capable of handling vessels of all types, from big to small ones."

Harbor pilot is considered one of the world's most dangerous professions. And it takes 13 to 15 years of training to make a senior pilot.

In addition to being familiar with maneuvering different vessels, pilots need also acquire knowledge of hydrology, meteorology, and tides.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Tianjin, China.
(XHTV)