In the first half of 2022, Qingdao recorded the imports and exports worth RMB132.35bln with countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, growing by 4.2% yoy and occupying 32.3% of the city’s gross imports and exports, according to the data released by the Qingdao Municipal Development and Reform Commission. 26 projects funded by investments from the countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative were located in Qingdao, involving a contractual foreign investment amount of USD370mln, USD91.97mln of which were actually utilized. Quality and efficiency improvements in economic trade and investment with the countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative have bolstered significantly Qingdao’s drive of building an international hub city.

While improving the quality and efficiency in economic and trade and investment cooperation, Qingdao has been expanding ties with friendship cities involved in the Belt and Road Initiative. In the first half of 2022, Qingdao has established friendship with Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, Yerevan in Armenia and Teinainano in Kiribati, signed friendly cooperation intention agreements with Vestlland and Bergen in Norway, and advanced the process of establishing friendship with Gyandzha in Azerbaijan, Penang Island in Malaysia and Cartagena in Colombia. To date, Qingdao has forged friendship with 41 cities in 31 countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative.

Source：International Daily