Shanghai And Hamburg Mark 40 Years Of Ties

Shanghai and Hamburg are marking 40 years of friendship-city ties with plans to deepen cooperation in green shipping, smart ports, technology and urban resilience. Hamburg Mayor Peter Tschentscher led a delegation of government, business and academic representatives to Shanghai on Oct. 15 and 16. The cities also aim to expand youth, arts, cultural and tourism exchanges. Their partnership, established on May 29, 1986, connects two major economic centers in China and Germany.

Trade And Transport Links

The relationship is supported by extensive trade, science, technology and cultural exchanges. About 30 percent of containers handled at the Port of Hamburg come from or are destined for China, while Shanghai serves as an entry point into China for many German companies and Hamburg provides a gateway to Germany and the wider European market for Chinese businesses.

China-Europe freight trains also connect Hamburg with Chinese cities. The two cities are developing a green shipping corridor intended to make maritime transport more efficient and environmentally friendly.

Peter Tschentscher, mayor of Hamburg, said:

“Hamburg would spare no effort to deepen cooperation with Shanghai despite changes in the international environment.”

Science And Exchange Programs

Hamburg University of Technology and Feishu China, the Chinese representative office of the Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical Sciences, launched a joint laboratory for climate science and engineering in Shanghai’s Qingpu district on Oct. 16.

The mayor also visited China Eastern Airlines and expressed hope that direct flights between Shanghai and Hamburg could be introduced. He met 30 secondary school students from Hamburg on a study tour in Shanghai, following an earlier visit to Hamburg by their Chinese counterparts.

Peter Tschentscher, mayor of Hamburg, said:

“The two cities could further advance high-tech cooperation by leveraging their respective strengths.”

A Four Decade Partnership

Hamburg and Shanghai established their friendship-city relationship when then-Hamburg Mayor Klaus von Dohnanyi signed the declaration on behalf of the German city. Tschentscher said Dohnanyi, now 98, was delighted about the anniversary and had long viewed the two cities as closely aligned through their maritime traditions and openness to the world.