With its return to Shanghai on Thursday, Costa Serena started China's first multi-homeport cruise route with nearly 700 international tourists, after Italian cruise line Costa Cruises withdrew from the Asian market due to the global coronavirus pandemic and diminished tourists in 2022.
On Thursday morning, international tourists disembarking from Costa Serena shared their plans during their stay in Shanghai.
"This is the second time for me (to visit Shanghai) and this is the first time for her. Today I want to go to Yuyuan, walk around there, go shopping and have a tea time," said a Japanese tourist.
"This is the very first time I visit Shanghai and there's so much to explore in Shanghai," said a Mongolian tourist.
The Costa Serena's return marked the official launch of China's multi-homeport cruise route, allowing tourists to board the ship in Shanghai, Japan's Fukuoka, and South Korea's Jeju.
Later on Thursday, about 2,500 passengers in total -- including 700 international tourists who disembarked in the morning and more than 1,800 new travelers -- left Shanghai by Costa Serena.
Industry insiders expect the new route to further advance the development of China's cruise industry.
"I think this is a good attempt. While it brings in tourists visiting the port, it also attracts Chinese passengers to get on board. The diversification of products could drive the cruise market," said Peng Zhaoyun, president assistant of Shanghai's Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal.
In 2006, Shanghai launched China's first international homeport route with cruise ship Costa Alanga, marking a starting point for the country's cruise market.
Costa Serena starts China's first multi-homeport cruise route
The United States cannot legitimize an operation that attacked Venezuela and captured its president, a Chinese scholar said Sunday.
On Saturday, the United States launched a large-scale strike on Venezuela, during which Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were 'captured and flown out of Venezuela' according to a post by U.S. President Donald Trump on his Truth Social account.
Teng Jianqun, director of the Center for Diplomatic Studies at Hunan Normal University, said in an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN) that the aim of this operation is to take full control of Venezuela’s natural resources.
"I don't think the United States can legitimize this operation to take custody of the president of Venezuela. And also I don't think the United States can legitimize its any action in taking the oil reserves of that country. This is actually a very dangerous game played by the Trump administration. And of course, the United States would like to take full control of that country and to take full control of the natural resources, especially the large reserve of oil in Venezuela," said Teng.
Teng said Venezuela is not an isolated case but a common practice by the United States. The United States launched an invasion of Panama on Dec. 20, 1989, which continued until January 1990, with the stated objective of capturing Panamanian strongman Manuel Noriega on charges of drug trafficking and organized crime.
"We still remember the so-called sentence of the former president of Panama in the late 1980s. And this time, the president of Venezuela will be under some judicial condition (judicial proceedings) for the so-called drug trafficking and some other crimes. So I think this is not a single case for the Venezuela country, but also this is actually a practice by the United States -- to use force, to use so-called justice under law against any leaders in Latin America and the Caribbean waters," he said.
US cannot legitimize operation against Venezuela: Chinese scholar
