As German Chancellor Scholz is about to start his first trip to China during his tenure, the German government's approval of Chinese companies to acquire stake in Hamburg Port has sparked heated discussions. On October 26, local time, the German federal government officially approved COSCO Shipping Group to acquire 24.9% of the shares in the container terminal of Hamburg Port "Fudi".
According to Deutsche News Agency on October 27, Scholz expressed support for the decision when he visited Greece for the first time, saying that the decision to allow Chinese capital to invest in Hamburg Port is "correct."
Hamburg Port is the largest port in Germany and has always been an important hub and distribution center for Chinese goods to Europe. According to Xinhua News Agency , as early as 1731, a Guangzhou merchant ship full of tea, silk and porcelain sailed into Hamburg Port, which is considered to be the first encounter between Chinese cargo ships and Hamburg Port. Today, more than 200 years later, as the China-Europe freight train connects land transportation with Hamburg Port, Hamburg has become the intersection of the "Belt and Road" and has a closer economic ties with China.
What kind of twists and turns has Chinese capital been experiencing in Hamburg Port and what are the positive significance for the future development of Hamburg Port? What important role does Hamburg Port play in trade exchanges between China and Germany and China-Europe? Beijing News reporter interviewed Axel Matern, co-director and CEO of the Hamburg Port Marketing Association, and Pan Hua, chief representative of the Liaison Office of Hamburg in China, Germany.
Hamburg Port Marketing Association Co-director and CEO Matten:
Chinese investment will help Hamburg Port strengthen the supply chain
Hamburg Port Marketing Association Co-director and CEO Matten. Photo provided by Hamburg Port Marketing Association
Beijing News: On October 26, the German government approved COSCO Shipping Group to hold 24.9% of the shares of the "Fudi" container terminal of Hamburg Port. Can you briefly introduce the cooperation between Hamburg Port and COSCO Shipping Group? What positive effect does Chinese investment have on the future development of Hamburg Port?
Matern: Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) is one of the two container terminal operators in Hamburg Port and has a long-term cooperative relationship with Chinese shipping companies. The ships of China Ocean Shipping Corporation (COSCO) (the predecessor of COSCO Group) have been calling the HHLA container "Fudi" terminal (CTT) for more than 40 years.
HHLA's cooperation plan with COSCO Shipping Port Co., Ltd. (CSPL) (a subsidiary of COSCO Shipping Group) is the result of these long-term cooperative relationships. The two parties have signed relevant contracts on September 21, 2021. On October 26, the German government approved CSPL to conditionally acquire a 24.9% minority stake in the operating company HHLA Fudi Terminal.
We welcome the finding of solutions in objective and constructive talks with the federal government. With the investment of CSPL, HHLA CTT will become the preferred hub for Asia to Europe. We look forward to the cooperation between HHLA and COSCO Shipping Group to strengthen the supply chain, guarantee employment and support the smooth operation of logistics and supply chains.
Hamburg Port. Hamburg Port Marketing Association/Dietmar Hasenpusch
Beijing News: There are some doubts within Germany and within EU , and some people are opposed to this. What do you think of these doubts and concerns?
Matern: Hamburg Port has always represented the spirit of openness and cosmopolitanism. Based on this, Hamburg Port has maintained a good cooperative relationship with Chinese companies for many years. These cooperations go beyond the business areas and are maintained and further deepened through multiple mutual visits. This also builds trust between the two sides.
Of course, not everyone can learn such experience, so we also need to take external concerns seriously. Our mission is to reduce these concerns and contribute to further understanding and deeper collaboration.
Beijing News: The COVID-19 pandemic, the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, etc., have caused a global supply chain crisis, and Germany and Europe are both facing the energy crisis . What challenges has Hamburg Port encountered in this context?
Matern: In the first half of this year, the EU sanctions imposed on Russia resulted in a drop in container throughput between Hamburg and Russian ports.However, the transportation chain was quickly rebuilt, and the sea container throughput of Polish , Finland , Sweden and Denmark increased again, and Hamburg's role as a transshipment hub in Baltic region has been strengthened again.
In fact, affected by the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, all major European industrial centers, including the Port of Hamburg, have had to promote the diversification of energy supply. After the German Ministry of Economic Affairs approved the implementation in August this year, Hamburg natural gas supplier Gasnetz Hamburg will expand the Hamburg Hydrogen Industrial Network (HH-WIN) from 2023, which will enable the under-construction "Hamburg Green Hydrogen Energy Center" to provide energy to large industries starting from 2026. The network will expand from the original 40 km to 60 km, and it has planned to connect to 12 hydrogen projects in Hamburg Port.
Hamburg Port will become the main energy hub in the future. Just last week, the first batch of low-carbon experiments shipped from the UAE to Germany were successfully completed with ammonia and arrived at the climate-neutral container terminal Altenwerder operated by HHLA. The pilot delivery has become an important milestone in the medium-term green hydrogen imports of Germany and Europe.
In general, from scarce raw materials, shortage of personnel, lockdowns caused by the epidemic, to problems such as war, natural disasters of or the closure of important transportation routes caused by climate change, we must work together to find solutions.
Chief Representative of the Liaison Office of Hamburg in Germany in China Pan Hua:
Hamburg Port is the largest trade port in China-Europe , and it is also a key sea-rail transport port
Chief Representative of the Liaison Office of Hamburg in Germany in China Pan Hua. Photo provided by Hamburg's Liaison Office in China
Beijing News: Hamburg Port is the largest port in Germany and is known as "Germany's gate to the world." What is its important value for Sino-Germany and China-EU trade cooperation?
Pan Hua: Hamburg Port has always been an important gateway port for Chinese goods to Europe and the largest port for Sino-European trade. As early as the 18th century, Hamburg Port had merchant ships with Chinese ports. To this day, 1 out of every three containers in Hamburg Port is from or to China.
With the opening of the China-Europe Railway Express by land, Hamburg Port has become a hub port for the transportation of China-Europe Railway by . Because all terminals in Hamburg Port are connected by railways, it is also the largest railway port in Europe. As a result, Hamburg Port became a key sea-rail intermodal port.
Beijing News: On November 5, the 5th Shanghai CIIE will open in Shanghai. Hamburg Port has participated in the Shanghai CIIE for four consecutive years. What is the focus of the exhibition this year? What has promoted Hamburg Port to participate in the CIIE for five consecutive years?
Pan Hua: Hamburg Port will continue to participate in the display this year. We have participated in the CIIE very actively since the first session. I remember that when the first CIIE, we had only one standard booth of 9 square meters, and by the fourth time last year, the booth had already had 54 square meters.
In fact, the person in charge of Hamburg Port really wants to come to the CIIE to promote Hamburg Port in person, but the itinerary was blocked due to the epidemic. However, our China Liaison Office will continue to represent Hamburg Port to participate in the exhibition.
At this year's CIIE, in addition to the Hamburg Port Marketing Association (HHM) and Hamburg Port and Logistics Co., Ltd. (HHLA), there is also a MEC container safety system company that will also participate in the exhibition. What we are exhibiting is mainly port multimodal transport services, which actually serve the entire supply chain.
Hamburg Port was exhibited at the CIIE with the main purpose of expanding our "circle of friends". We hope that more Chinese and international customers will use Hamburg Port as the main sea and land hub for trade exchanges.
Hamburg Port. Hamburg Port Marketing Association/Michael Lindner
Beijing News: In addition, we noticed that the "China-Europe Express-CIIE" carrying exhibits of the fifth CIIE departed from Hamburg on September 26. Can you introduce the situation of the "China-Europe Express-Giandong Expo"?
Pan Hua: "China-Europe Express-Giandong No." is a train operated by Oriental International Group . The first train was opened last year, and this year it should be the second train. Every year, the "CIIE" will transport the exhibits needed to participate in the CIIE from Germany, and the anchor port is at Hamburg Port.
Beijing News: Hamburg City and Shanghai have always maintained friendly relations. What areas do the two cities have for cooperation and exchanges? What are your expectations for deepening the relationship between the two cities in the future?
Pan Hua: Hamburg and Shanghai established friendly urban relations as early as 1986. The two cities also have many similar places, such as both of them are one of the economic centers of their own country and the largest ports in their own country. The personalities of the two cities also have similarities, and they are both more pragmatic.
After the establishment of the Hamburg Liaison Office in China in 1986, our main task was to develop and implement friendly city projects. Over the past decades, Hamburg, Shanghai and China have expanded its exchanges and cooperation to various fields. We have mutual visits from high-level government delegations, economic cooperation forums, student exchanges, professional training exchanges, cultural and sports cooperation, etc. In addition, in 2004, Shanghai Port and Hamburg Port also established friendly port relations. It can be said that Hamburg and Shanghai are a model of all friendly city relations.
The new crown epidemic has hindered exchanges between China and Germany to a certain extent. For example, in 2020, Shanghai was invited to attend the birthday celebration of Hamburg Port as a guest city, but it failed to make a trip due to the epidemic. We hope that after the epidemic crisis has passed, Shanghai and Hamburg can resume and strengthen face-to-face communication and exchanges. This kind of communication will help promote cooperation in various fields between the two sides.
Beijing News: German Chancellor Scholz is about to visit China, accompanied by a business delegation. What role will this visit to China play in promoting China-Germany cooperation and the development of China-Germany bilateral relations?
Pan Hua: Germany is the first country to visit China among the G7 countries after the outbreak of the new crown epidemic. Prime Minister Scholz's itinerary for this visit to China undoubtedly sent a very positive signal. I think Prime Minister Scholz's visit to China will also promote exchanges and exchanges between the German and Chinese business circles, thereby promoting subsequent economic cooperation between the two countries.
Beijing News reporter Xie Lian
Editor Zhang Lei Proofreading Chen Diyan Fu Chunyan
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-