Qingdao promotes construction of intl gateway hub city

The eastern coastal city of Qingdao, Shandong province is beefing up efforts to build into an international gateway hub city and an important channel of connectivity for domestic and global markets, local media reported.

Qingdao is the bridgehead for Shandong's opening-up. The city is also a gateway to the Yellow River Basin, which is expected to boost economic development and trade between China's eastern and western regions by connecting land and river areas.

Supported by major national strategic platforms such as the China-SCO Local Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Zone and the Qingdao Area of China (Shandong) Pilot Free Trade Zone, Qingdao will give full play to its unique dual role of opening up to the rest of the world and driving economic development in northern China, according to local officials.

Since its approval by the State Council in 2019, the Qingdao Area of Shandong FTZ has been committed to creating a free and convenient business environment to develop foreign trade, logistics and attract investment, capital and personnel.

The area has undertaken 106 pioneering tasks as a national-level reform pilot area and achieved 226 innovations in working formats or management systems. It has attracted 143 projects invested by Fortune 500 companies, such as ORIX from Japan, to create new opportunities for win-win development.

The city is also building an efficient logistics system that integrates sea, land, air and rail. Plans have been made to promote the construction of international logistics corridors.

The Qingdao-SCO demonstration zone has been working to strengthen its role as a regional logistics hub serving the SCO region and the Belt and Road economies. It has opened 25 domestic and international freight train routes, linking 49 cities in 20 countries involving in the Belt and Road Initiative.