The Japan-ROK (Qingdao) Import Expo is held in Chengyang district, Qingdao every year. [Photo/Qingdao News]

As the most famous gathering place for South Koreans and Korean-funded enterprises in Qingdao, Chengyang district has a long history of friendly exchanges with Japan and South Korea.

Even before the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and South Korea, the first Korean-funded enterprise in Shandong had already set up operations in Chengyang, leading the way for Sino-Korean cooperation. In 2015, the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Qingdao relocated to Chengyang, further promoting technological innovation and cooperation between Chinese and Korean enterprises and marking a new chapter in their cooperation.

Currently, 15,000 Japanese and Korean residents live and work in Chengyang district, Qingdao, with over 2,000 Japanese and Korean enterprises thriving in the area, including well-known companies like Yanmar and LG Air Conditioning.

With the acceleration of its opening-up process, Chengyang district is seizing the high ground as a leading area for regional economic and trade cooperation with Japan and South Korea in the new round of high-level opening-up in China. Leveraging the advantages of opening up to Japan and South Korea, efforts are being made to create a "bridgehead" for Shandong's opening up to the two countries.

In recent years, Chengyang district has beefed up efforts to enhance its vitality and is continuously increasing its level of openness. Since 2018, the district has hosted five editions of the Japan-ROK (Qingdao) Import Expo, which has become a high-end platform and a boon for economic, technological, and industrial exchanges and cooperation between Qingdao and Japan and South Korea.