Delegation marks the anniversary
Hamburg Mayor Peter Tschentscher led a delegation of government, business and academic representatives to Shanghai on Oct 15 and 16, as the two cities marked 40 years of friendship. The friendship-city relationship was established on May 29, 1986, when Klaus von Dohnanyi, then Hamburg's mayor, signed the declaration on the German city's behalf. Tschentscher said he had spoken by telephone with Dohnanyi, now 98, who was pleased about the anniversary, according to the report.
Where the cities want to deepen ties
Shanghai is seeking deeper practical cooperation with Hamburg in green shipping, smart ports, technological innovation and urban resilience, and wider exchanges in youth, arts, culture and tourism. The two cities are developing a green shipping corridor intended to make maritime transport more efficient and more environmentally friendly. During the visit, Tschentscher said Hamburg would spare no effort in deepening cooperation with Shanghai despite changes in the international environment.
Container and rail links
About 30 percent of the containers handled at the Port of Hamburg come from or are destined for China. Shanghai serves as an entry point into China for many German companies, while Hamburg is a gateway for Chinese businesses entering Germany and the wider European market, and China-Europe freight trains also connect Hamburg with Chinese cities. The two cities have built cooperation in trade, science and technology, culture and people-to-people exchanges over the past four decades.
Laboratory, flights and students
A joint laboratory for climate science and engineering was launched in Qingpu district on Oct 16 by Hamburg University of Technology and Feishu China, the Chinese representative office of the Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical Sciences. Tschentscher said the two cities could take high-tech cooperation further by drawing on their respective strengths. On a visit to China Eastern Airlines, he said he hoped direct flights between Shanghai and Hamburg could be introduced, arguing an air link would ease travel and strengthen business, cultural and tourism exchanges. He also met 30 secondary school students from Hamburg who were on a study tour in Shanghai; their Chinese counterparts had earlier visited Hamburg under the exchange programme.
