On the occasion of the upcoming 40th anniversary of the city partnership between Hamburg and Shanghai, both metropolises have reaffirmed their intention to purposefully intensify bilateral cooperation. Hamburg's First Mayor Dr Peter Tschentscher travelled to the Chinese port city on 15 and 16 October heading a delegation of representatives from business, science and politics. The discussions focused on initiatives for environmentally friendly shipping, smart port infrastructure, urban resilience and technological innovation.
For decades, the economic ties between both locations have formed a stable foundation for foreign trade. Around 30 per cent of all container throughput in the Port of Hamburg is directly linked to China. While Shanghai represents the strategic market entry point into the Asian region for numerous German industrial and commercial enterprises, Hamburg serves as the primary gateway for Chinese companies into the German and wider European markets. This maritime link is complemented by regular freight train connections by rail between China and Europe.
Green shipping corridor and joint research projects
Despite changing conditions in the global environment, Tschentscher emphasised that Hamburg would pursue cooperation with Shanghai with undiminished vigour. Both partners are working to realise a green shipping corridor aimed at making maritime transport routes significantly more resource-efficient. In addition, a concrete academic project was implemented on 16 October: Hamburg University of Technology and Feishu China, the representative office of the Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical Sciences, opened a joint laboratory for climate research and engineering sciences in the Qingpu district.
Transport and location-policy impetus is also to be set in passenger transport in future. During a meeting with representatives of the airline China Eastern Airlines, the First Mayor advocated establishing a direct flight connection between Shanghai and Hamburg. Such a route would substantially facilitate institutional and tourist travel in addition to business exchanges.
Tradition and expansion of institutional relations
The official partnership between the two Hanseatic cities has existed since 29 May 1986. Klaus von Dohnanyi, then First Mayor of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, signed the agreement almost four decades ago. Tschentscher referred to a telephone call with the now 98-year-old Dohnanyi, who attributed the enduring bond between both locations to their maritime traditions and cosmopolitan outlook. Alongside the economic dimension, the cooperation continues to encompass academic and cultural exchange programmes, as underlined by the concurrent presence of a group of Hamburg school pupils during their study trip to Shanghai.
