Meng expressed Qingdao’s origins from its port and how the city has prospered through the sea, with shipping deeply embedded in the city’s identity. Looking ahead, he said, Qingdao will further align with national strategies, enhance the capacity and quality of its shipping services, address shortcomings while sharpening its strengths, and place greater emphasis on smart navigation and green development. The city aims to build a second Qingdao Port and accelerate its push toward becoming a world-class international shipping hub, contributing to its broader goal of building a modern global metropolis and advancing Chinese modernization in Qingdao.
This year’s Shipping Week, themed “New Wave of Shipping · New Coordinates of Qingdao,” is being held on a market-oriented basis and jointly organized by industry associations and shipping enterprises. It will run through April 3 with the opening ceremony bringing together leading figures from the shipping and port sectors, government and business representatives, and academic experts to assess emerging industry trends and explore new avenues for cooperation. The event aims to build an international platform integrating high-level forums, research releases, exhibitions, business matchmaking, and investment promotion to inject Qingdao-driven momentum into the high-quality development of the global shipping industry through a total of 13 themed events that will be held during the week, covering key areas including pilotage, port construction, maritime law, and shipping finance.
Several key projects were inaugurated during the opening ceremony including the Qingdao representative office of the Belt and Road Legal Services Alliance, a simulator training base of the China Maritime Pilots’ Association, Dalian Maritime University’s research institute on Qingdao, and a seafarer training base under Shandong Shipping. These high-level initiatives are set to strengthen Qingdao’s frameworks for maritime legal support, professional training, research and innovation, and talent development to provide sustained expertise and momentum for its drive to become a world-class international shipping center. A number of research outcomes were also released, including a 2025 research document on the development of the Qingdao International Shipping Center and a report on the adoption of innovative practices in the digitalization upgrade of Qingdao Port’s main channel.
An expert seminar on the high-quality development of the Qingdao International Shipping Center was held following the opening ceremony.
City officials Cheng Dezhi, Zhao Shengcun, and Li Suman were also in attendance for the event.
