In the newly-concluded 2024 Mayors Exchange Conference on Maritime Silk Road City Influence, the annual ranking list of China’s Influential Cities across Maritime Silk Road was unveiled, which encompasses Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Suzhou, Wenzhou, Nanjing, Qingdao, Nantong, Changsha and Yantai.

The influence of Qingdao is marked by its efforts to “accelerate connection over land and sea by creating synergy between its eastern and western regions”. As introduced in the list, underpinned by the SCO Demonstration Area, Qingdao sustains its efforts to improve its role as a major nodal city in the New Eurasian Land Bridge Economic Corridor and a strategic stronghold for maritime cooperation, and moves faster to break new ground in opening China further through links running eastward and westward, across land and over sea.

Over recent years, Qingdao has worked faster to embrace the Belt and Road Initiative, hosted such events as China+Central Asia (C+C5) Industry and Investment Cooperation Forum, put in place the China-SCO Technology Transfer Center among other platforms, and deepened cooperation across the board with the countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative in energy, agriculture and marine industry. The sea-land-air-railway integration in Qingdao is gaining momentum. Qingdao Port has opened a total of 42 routes and around 200 container lines to the countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative. Qingdao has dispatched a cumulative total of 3,200 China-Europe freight trains and is operating 31 routes on a regular basis to get connected with 54 cities in 23 countries and regions covered by the Belt and Road Initiative. Jiaodong International Airport boasts a total of 14 international air freight routes, covering largely major aviation hubs that span across the countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Cooperation.

 (Li Xunxiang)

An oceangoing freighter passes via Jiaozhou Bay.  By Zhao Jianpeng