A delegation composed of 28 diplomats from 15 Asian countries including Vietnam, Indonesia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Singapore, Cambodia and Turkey visited Ningbo in East China's Zhejiang province from May 25 to 26.

The diplomats were impressed by Ningbo's development after visiting places including Fujialu village in Cixi, a county-level city in Ningbo, and the Meishan Free Trade Zone.

For example, Syed Farizal Aminy, consul general of Malaysia in Shanghai, was impressed by the fully automated warehouse in Maersk's Meishan International Logistics Center.

The Meishan port handled 5.44 million TEUs and 330,000 vehicles in 2020 and the figures are expected to reach 6 million and 365,000 this year, according to a staffer at the Ningbo Meidong Container Port Co Ltd.

"Ningbo's achievements in economy, especially in international trade, are amazing," said Lada Phumas, consul general of Thailand in Shanghai, who visited Ningbo for first time.

He expressed hope that Thailand's cooperation with Ningbo would be expanded in the future.

Deny Wachyudi Kurnia, consul general of Indonesia in Shanghai, said he has witnessed the important role Ningbo is playing in strengthening communication and cooperation between China and the rest of Asia under the Belt and Road Initiative.

Ningbo is an important gateway connecting Indonesia with Zhejiang and China, he said, adding that many businessmen and enterprises from Zhejiang have come to invest in Indonesia. Similarly, Indonesian enterprises also value business opportunities in Ningbo and Zhejiang.

Ye Rongzhong, head of the Ningbo municipal foreign affairs office, said that Ningbo has maintained good economic and trade relations with many Asian countries. He also expressed hope that the activity will facilitate the city's links with them, allow more products from these nations to enter China via Ningbo ports and help more local enterprises expand their business presence in Asia.