According to the recently released Medium-term Plan and 2035 Long-range Objectives for the Construction of Qingdao into an International Shipping Center, by 2028, the Qingdao International Shipping Center will be largely completed in terms its core functions and framework, and emerge as a first-class international gateway hub, a leading comprehensive service center in Northeast Asia and an innovation-driven engine for regional development. By 2035, Qingdao will blossom into an internationally competitive shipping center having the capacity of allocating international resources to cater to the development of the Yellow River Basin, foster synergy with China’s east, middle and west regions, orient itself towards the Asia-Pacific Region, and work together with countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative.

As stipulated in the Plan, Qingdao will move faster to build “two hubs”, namely, a first-class shipping hub with international reach, and an international aviation hub that is oriented towards Japan and South Korea as well as other SCO member states. Efforts will be made to put up “a principal axis”, namely, a principal axis for the international logistics channel to become oriented towards the Yellow River Basin, get linked with Japan, South Korea and SCO member states, and promote the Belt and Road cooperation. Solid steps will be launched to build “four model centers”, namely, a model center for international shipping services in Northeast Asia, a model center for openness and cooperation in international trade, a model center for innovation-oriented port-vicinity industry, and a model center for future-oriented port and shipping scientific innovation. A forward-looking vision will be taken to develop “four areas”, namely, the Qianwan modern shipping services clustering area, the SCO demonstration area for multimodal transport and airport economy, the pioneering area for Dongjiakou port-industry-city integrated development, the coordinated development area for cruise economy, and the economic area for shipping service headquarters. (Zhou Jianliang)

The bustling Qianwan harbor district of Qingdao Port, Shandong Port Group.