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.[1][2][3]
CNCo is part of the Swire group and wholly owned by John Swire & Sons Limited. Swire Shipping was formerly known as the China Navigation Company until October 2021, when it was renamed Swire Shipping.[4]
History
1872–1945: Yangtze River origins
Founded in London in 1872 by
John Samuel Swire, CNCo was established with the intent of providing paddle steamer services on the
Yangtze River.[5][6][7] 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.[8][9][10]
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.[6] James Henry Scott joined as a partner in 1874, and together with JS&S, they acquired two steamers, named Fuchow and Swatow, from John Scott IV, who also invested in these vessels.[9]
By the mid-1870s, CNCo expanded its operations to the Canton River trade and the Shanghai-Ningbo and Shanghai-Tianjin routes.[11] 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.[11]
By 1879, Scotts had also provided six steamers to the company, and by 1882, an additional ten were delivered.[13] The five steamships managed by CNCo's managing firm, Butterfield & Swire, and which were primarily serving South China routes, were also integrated into CNCo's own fleet by 1883.[12] CNCo's fleet grew to 29 ships by 1894, serving an extensive network of ports across Asia and other regions.[6] The company faced numerous challenges in the 20th century, including political turbulence and piracy in the Far East, but continued operations through both World Wars.[6]
Initially focusing on the Yangtze River trade, the company expanded its operations to include coastal and regional routes by the late 19th century.[6]
In 1939, CNCo first became involved in the
Papua New Guinea trade, which ceased with the start of the war.[14]
In 1940, CNCo was requisitioned by the British Government during the
World War II.[6] In 1945, it returned to Shanghai and Hong Kong, and operations gradually resumed.[6] CNCo's business on the North China Coast (from Ningpo north) and the Yangtze River was undertaken from Shanghai, while the South Coast, Canton trade and all Australian,
South East Asian, and Philippines routes were handled out of Hong Kong. The growth of CNCo eventually led to shipping becoming the predominant focus for
Butterfield & Swire, resulting in the discontinuation of their trading activities after 1902.[15]
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.[14]
Post-World War II, the company innovated in the Pacific trade routes, notably introducing "unitisation" in cargo handling during the 1960s, and later transitioning to full containerisation.[6] The company also diversified into passenger cruising and the dry bulk carrier market, and in the 1980s, ventured into the Very Large Crude Carrier market.[6] The 1990s saw a consolidation of management operations in Sydney, while its New Zealand operations were hinged on its investments in Tasman Asia and Tasman Orient Line.[6]
SS Anhui (3,494
GRT built 1925 was one of only three large vessels, the others being Coast Farmer and
Dona Nati, to actually deliver supplies early in the Pacific war to the
Philippines from
Australia arriving in
Cebu City on 20 March 1942. Anhui later operated under U.S. Army control as part of the
Southwest Pacific Area permanent local fleet as X-6 from 4 March 1942—September or December 1945.)[18][19][20]
^Masterson 1949, pp. 27, 320, 324, 326, 332, 338, 381, Appendix 30 p. 6.
Further reading
Masterson, Dr. James R. (1949). U. S. Army Transportation In The Southwest Pacific Area 1941-1947. Washington, D. C.: Transportation Unit, Historical Division, Special Staff, U. S. Army.
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)