China recently signed the landmark Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership -- or RCEP agreement -- with other Asia-Pacific countries and completed investment agreement negotiations with the European Union, demonstrating its support for openness, cooperation and multilateralism, according to a senior official.

Li Fengli, a deputy to the National People's Congress of Qingdao, as well as deputy Party secretary and general manager of Shandong Port Group – the major ports operator based in northern China -- expressed his full confidence about the opportunities the RCEP accord would bring to the city during an interview.

Li said that in addition to its construction of ports, Qingdao should also keep up with the development of top international shipping hubs in terms of shipping services and comprehensive environments and make joint efforts to build an international shipping trade and financial innovation center with other Asia-Pacific countries.

"We have exerted all our energies into turning SPG into an international shipping hub and center for Northeast Asia that features internationally advanced smart and green ports, logistics hubs, ports for industry-city integration, finance and trade ports, as well as culture and tourism cruise ports," Li added.

He said SPG had actively implemented the Belt and Road Initiative – or BRI -- and was undertaking other such national missions in the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20) period. It actively synergizes the national strategy of serving the country and the BRI and is taking two-way East-West economic cooperation and links between the land and sea as its development path.

In the period of the country's 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25), the port group will strive to meet its goal of becoming an international shipping financial hub by accelerating port-industry-city integration, Li said.