Qingdao Port and Port of Long Beach mark 25 years of ties

Top executives from Shandong Port Group and Port of Long Beach in California have promised more substantial cooperation to contribute to trade and cultural exchanges between China and the US.

Port of Qingdao, a subsidiary of Shandong Port Group, and Port of Long Beach, both world's leading seaports, established sister port relationship in 1997. The two celebrated their 25th anniversary of sister port relationship on the morning of Thursday (GMT+8) through a video conference.

Li Fengli, general manger of Shandong Port Group, said the two ports have developed a strong friendship and a fruitful relationship that serves as a good example for Sino-US cooperation in the port and shipping industry.

Currently, there are four direct liner services between two ports and the container trade volume between both ports grew by 25 percent over the past 3 years.

Shandong Port Group was officially established in August 2019, integrating seven major ports along the coastal line within eastern Shandong province, including Port of Qingdao.

He noted that the port conglomerate has now become a hub in northeast Asia and Port of Long Beach is an important gateway for trans-Pacific trade, adding that he hoped that more exchange between two sides could be enhanced in the future.

"Goods transported between two ports are essential for the two country's bilateral trade cooperation," Li added.

Long Beach Harbor Commission President Steven Neal said the friendships between two ports are more vital than ever, noting that China continues to be the United States' leading trading partner, accounting for about half of all goods shipped through the Port of Long Beach each year.

The joint efforts between two ports "have been an unqualified success, providing a foundation for cultural and economic ties through the exchange of people, ideas and information," he added.

Established in 1892, Port of Qingdao is currently the second-largest foreign trade port in China. Data show it handled 657 million metric tons of goods in 2021, the fourth-largest in the world.

As the second-busiest container seaport in the United States, Port of Long Beach handles trade valued at $170 billion annually and supports 2.6 million jobs across the nation, according to the port's official website. The port was founded in 1911.