A widely recognized slogan, "Welcome to Shandong, the land of hospitality," continues to resonate nationwide, leaving a lasting impression on visitors at the sixth Qingdao Multinationals Summit held from Wednesday to Friday.
Themed "Multinationals and China: Connecting the World for Win-Win Cooperation," the three-day summit has brought together representatives from 465 multinational companies, featuring 135 Fortune Global 500 giants and 330 industry leaders spanning 43 countries and regions to Qingdao City of east China's Shandong Province.
Many of them said they truly sensed the hospitality of the people from Shandong, while sharing the stories of how their organizations have developed here.
"Standing on the vibrant land of Shandong, I sense the openness and inclusiveness of the hometown of Confucius and Mencius, alongside the robust momentum of [this] economically-powerful province. Maidelong (Chinese name for Metro AG) opened its first store in Qingdao, marking the beginning of a deep connection and collaboration with this province. Over the last 24 years, Maidelong's growth has been fueled by the support of the whole market, the Shandong government, and also the trust of our consumers," said Tino Zeiske, CEO of leading German retailing company Metro AG.
Some noted that Qingdao reminds them of their hometowns.
"I visited some local people in the business who were very hospitable, and I had a chance to learn about the city itself and the province, how it is. And I found it very similar to one of our cities in Saudi Arabia, it's called Jeddah. Jeddah lies on the east coast of the Red Sea. And the government of Saudi Arabia is going to make Jeddah as a logistics hub for the Middle East, where Shandong also is a logistics hub in this region," said Osama Kokandy, executive director of the Saudi-Southeast Asia Business Council.
To many, the city of Qingdao is like an old friend that has celebrated important moments in their lives.
"I came to Qingdao about 28 years ago and that was my first time. And last year I came back and it was very impressive. Last year, October, FedEx launched our all-cargo international flights in Qingdao. It was an excitement for me to see our FedEx flights supporting the central market," said Poh-Yian Koh, President of China and Senior Vice President of FedEx.
Chinese multinationals, including home appliances giant Haier, showcased their hospitality to global counterparts, fostering deeper international partnerships.
"Haier has already attracted more than 40 multinational companies to invest in Qingdao. As Haier expands into the global market, many cooperation opportunities arise. For example, one of the recently signed projects is a partnership between Haier and an Algerian company to build a local home appliance industrial park," said Zhou Yunjie, chairman and CEO of the company.
Open, hospitable, environmentally conscious, and supportive - Qingdao provides fertile ground for global businesses. It's no surprise that 179 Fortune Global 500 companies have invested here, with many more planning to establish themselves in this vibrant coastal city.
Qingdao summit welcomes global firms to China’s "land of hospitality"
