Today's a buzzword, geopolitical impact, comes together with a famous American popular saying " if you’re not at the table in the international system, you’re going to be on the menu.  ", but to most Chinese companies, they have an humorous opposite saying, our business always want to be on the menu, no matter if we are in the table or not, our products wish to become customers preferred dish, please come and enjoy, just make sure, all eyes eye the menu and tick up. 

Get down to world maritime business, how  some famous shipyards, suppliers  and other service providers have been making efforts to be on the menu of world  maritime industry ? please come and see the map of China's shipbuilding, which will be issued next week in SMM during 1-4, sept. in Hamburg, Germany.

第五届2026年造船焊接切割和智能制造中国江苏论坛将于9月17-18日举办

最新2026年中国造船厂地图将于9月16日南通海事展发布

焊接和切割版2026年中国造船厂地图广告开始招商，尽快报名有优惠

第五届2026年船舶电气产业发展中国国际论坛将于12月4-5日在上海举办

The maps  are ready to distribute in SMM again.

With SMM 2026 approaching, we at International Ship & Offshore Media China also is ready to organize a forum slot titled "New opportunities in China's shipbuilding and the international cooperation" in SMM open stage in Hall B2.UF at 14:30-15:20 on Sept. 2, 2026.

The link for the forum's time and address on SMM website

https://www.smm-hamburg.com/programme/transition-stages/open-stage#eventdate--New-opportunities-in-China's-shipbuilding-and-the-international-cooperation--9668dea0-dfe7-43fa-9fbd-1b676e5c5abf 

This slot will start with the update on China shipbuilding development, current international cooperation, then special speeches on green and smart solutions will be presented. On the spotlight, invited industry professionals then will join the panel discussion sharing their insights on“ New opportunities in shipbuilding & shipping and the global cooperation between China & other regions".

All interested profesionals are most welcomed to join us and will get a free copy of newest China Top Shipyards Location Map upon register to attend the forum by the email:chinabobli@126.com( after this event, this stardard map will be charged at 50 euro/per compy )

And from 1-4 September, we will be ready in SMM site to meet you and talk the possible opportunities in China.

FYI: How comes American popular saying "

if you’re not at the table in the international system, you’re going to be on the menu. 

 "

Origin：

MODERATOR:  Secretary Blinken, there is a – there is a feeling that – it’s more than a feeling, it’s what we see on – happening on the ground, that the U.S.-China tensions are leading to greater fragmentation and that you’re almost competing for alliances:  who’s our ally?  And we see this within the UN, in various UN institutions, but we just see it all around the globe.  To what extent do you feel that you are challenged in your travels around the world on the fundamental questions?

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Well, first, it’s wonderful to be with my friends, wonderful to be back in Munich at the Security Conference, known among all of us as speed dating for diplomats.  (Laughter.)

But we’ve done a couple of things, and I’ll come quickly to your question. From the start of this administration, we’ve made an investment, a reinvestment, in our alliances, in our partnerships, and in the multilateral system.  We’ve reinvested, we’ve re-engaged, we’ve tried to rejuvenate, we’ve even reimagined.  And the reason for that is simple:  it’s because it’s in our interest to do it.  Not a single one of the challenges that we have to face and that are so important to the interests of the American people can we effectively deal with alone, as powerful and as resourceful as we are.  And so across the board, we’ve seen our comparative advantage as having a strong network of voluntary alliances, voluntary partnerships.  And if you’re not at the table in the international system, you’re going to be on the menu.  So it was very important for us to re-engage multilaterally, and we’ve done that.

When it comes to strategic competition – and there’s no doubt that we have one with China – there are a few things to be said. First, we have an obligation to manage that relationship responsibly, and I think that’s something that we hear from countries around the world, and it’s clearly in our interest to do so, and that’s exactly what President Biden is doing.  And when it comes to other countries, the point is not to say to country X, Y, or Z, “You have to choose;” the point is to offer a good choice.  And if we can do that – and I believe we can and we have and will continue – then I think the choice becomes fairly self-evident.

Over the last six or seven months, we have engaged in a sustainable way with China. I just met my counterpart Wang Yi here in Munich, but that follows a series of meetings, notably and most importantly President Biden and President Xi, and I think we’ve brought greater stability to the relationship, not moving away from or ignoring the fact that, yes, we have a competition, there are areas where we are contesting each other, but there are also areas where we can and should cooperate because it’s in our interest to do that.

One of the best examples of that is the agreement reached with China on fentanyl. The single largest – the number one killer, number one killer of Americans aged 18 to 49 is the synthetic opioid, fentanyl.  Now we have meaningful cooperation from and with China on fentanyl.  That’s going to make a difference in the lives of Americans.

The popular phrase has been attributed to different individuals over the years. Some believe that it was first said by a former politician, Ted Kennedy, in reference to the importance of being involved in the legislative process. However, there is no concrete evidence to support this claim.

Others have associated the phrase with a Native American proverb that warns against being absent from important discussions. In this version, the phrase suggests that if you do not participate actively in decision-making, others will make choices that may not be in your best interests. Regardless of its origins, the phrase highlights the importance of being present and engaged in discussions relevant to one's interests and needs.