An online celebration was held on Dec 14 to mark the 30th anniversary of sister port relations between Port of Qingdao, a subsidiary of Shandong Port Group (SPG), and Port of Wilhelmshave in Germany. 

During the event, Qingdao Port and Port of Wilhelmshave reviewed their past friendly exchanges, discussed ways to strengthen existing cooperation and further deepen future collaboration, so as to help both play a more active role in promoting regional people-to-people and cultural exchange and China-Germany trade and economic exchange. Additionally, Qingdao Port and Port of Wilhelmshaven signed a strategic cooperation agreement.

This year also marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and Germany. 

As the third-largest port in Germany after Port of Hamburg and Port of Bremerhaven, Port of Wilhelmshaven is Germany's largest energy hub and deep-water container port.

The two ports established sister port relations in 1992. Over the past 30 years, they have served as windows for Sino-German trade and business exchange and cooperation, and have carried out various exchange activities. They have played irreplaceable roles in regional economic development and boosting global economic and trade development. The exchange between the two ports has become a shining example for SPG's contacts with other sister ports and made positive contributions to people-to-people and cultural exchange between Qingdao and Wilhelmshaven as well as China and Germany.

Particularly, since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the two ports have made efforts to deepen friendship and strengthen collaboration, despite the complex environment brought about by global changes and a pandemic unseen in a century. This year has witnessed booming maritime cooperation between the two, as the container traffic from Qingdao Port to Port of Wilhelmshaven has increased by 167 percent year-on-year.

SPG, which plays an important role in international trade, has followed the trend of opening-up to expand international presence by launching projects under the banner of the Belt and Road Initiative. It is connected to 700-plus ports in over 180 countries and regions with over 300 container routes. In the process of opening-up, SPG has taken business and project cooperation as a tool to expand its international circle of friends. At present, SPG has sister port relations with 38 ports across the world.

The signing of the strategic cooperation agreement is considered a significant move for the two ports to implement the two country's strategic consensus on strengthening trade and economic collaboration and a milestone in the history of relations. Going forward, the two ports are expected to strengthen exchanges and cooperation in areas including smart and green port development, technological innovation, personnel exchange and people-to-people and cultural exchange. This will deepen the two ports' friendly relations and better serve trade and economic exchange as well as people-to-people exchange between Qingdao and Wilhelmshaven as well as China and Germany. 

An online celebration is held on Dec 14 to mark the 30th anniversary of sister port relations between Port of Qingdao, a subsidiary of SPG, and Port of Wilhelmshave in Germany. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

An online celebration is held on Dec 14 to mark the 30th anniversary of sister port relations between Port of Qingdao, a subsidiary of SPG, and Port of Wilhelmshave in Germany. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]