A delegation from Germany's Hamburg, led by First Mayor Peter Tschentscher, visited the Shanghai History Museum on Friday for an exhibition marking the 40th anniversary of the sister-city relationship between the Chinese financial hub and the German economic center.
Running from July 21 through Oct 18, the Shanghai History Museum organized the "Shanghai - Hamburg: A Tale of Two Cities" exhibition in collaboration with the International Maritime Museum Hamburg.
It was Tschentscher's second trip to Shanghai, following his first in 2019. The delegation included politicians, economists and scientists. The mayor said he was struck by Shanghai's changes since his last trip, noting that the city is moving steadily toward a greener, more sustainable future.
The Port of Shanghai in China is the world's busiest seaport by container traffic, while Hamburg in northern Germany is the third-busiest container port in the European Union. The two cities are key partners linking Asia and Europe.
Shanghai and Hamburg established their sister-city relationship in 1986, but bilateral ties date back to 1984, when Shanghai No. 2 Daily Chemicals Factory partnered with Hamburg-based Beiersdorf in China's first foreign-invested daily chemicals project.
Over four decades of sweeping political change and economic transformation in both countries, the connection has only grown stronger -- expanding from a business foundation to include cultural and academic exchange.
During his visit, Tschentscher said the close economic and innovative spirit shared by both cities has laid a solid foundation for the partnership, and he expects it to grow further in the years ahead.
"We are very impressed by the dynamic development in Shanghai. Hamburg-based companies were very successful to work here. And this is a special link between our cities that both are economically strong cities which are open-minded, which are innovative. And that's the spirit in which our partnership will have a great future," the mayor said.
Hamburg's mayor visits Shanghai exhibition to celebrate 40 years of sister-city ties
China's new-type energy storage industry has achieved notable results and established a complete industrial chain, a senior official with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said on Thursday.
In his opening speech at the 2026 World Energy Storage Conference held in Ningde City of east China's Fujian Province, Vice Minister of Industry and Information Technology Xiong Jijun highlighted the country's progress in the sector.
China's storage battery output exceeded 420 GWh in the first half of 2026, up about 110 percent year on year. The industry is advancing on multiple technological routes, with lithium batteries playing a leading role alongside sodium-ion and flow batteries, according to Xiong.
In terms of application scenarios, new-type energy storage is being increasingly deployed across a wide range of areas, including new energy power grids, industrial and commercial electricity consumption, data centers, and transportation, he noted.
Next, Xiong said, in developing the new energy storage industry, safety should be given top priority, and core competitiveness should be built with high-quality and safe products. In addition, enterprises will be urged to strengthen technological innovation.
"It is essential to closely follow the development trends of new-type storage energy storage technologies, increase investment in research and development, and promote the upgrading and development of materials, production processes and equipment. Efforts should be focused on making breakthroughs in key areas such as long-duration energy storage and intrinsic safety, accelerating the shift from scale expansion to innovation-driven development, and fostering healthy and orderly development of the industry," he said.
The 2026 World Energy Storage Conference, held from Wednesday to Friday, brought together participants to discuss cutting-edge technologies, prospects for the energy storage industry, and China's position in the global energy storage market.
Ningde City has hosted the conference three times previously, an event that has attracted representatives from governments, industries and academia in over 50 countries and regions.
China has built complete industrial chain for energy storage: vice minister
