The Second Development Forum of Sea-Rail Combined Transportation was recently held in Shinan district of Qingdao, Shandong province, attracting more than 500 shipping and logistics companies to share their views on the future development of the shipping and logistics industry.

Since the 1990s, Shinan has been a cradle for enterprises that specialize in shipping, logistics and trade. The district is home to 26 well-known shipping companies, 248 shipping and logistics companies above the designated size, five listed companies in shipping and logistics, 31 A-level logistics companies, four 5A-level logistics companies and, State-owned China COSCO Shipping and Sinotrans.

The shipping and logistics industry in Shinan has made many breakthroughs in recent years by relying on its industrial cluster.

In 2022, Shinan introduced 25 shipping and logistics companies, including 10 companies with a total investment of more than 10 million yuan ($1.45 million) and one company with a total investment of more than 100 million yuan.

The industry's operating income achieved 80.75 billion yuan last year, accounting for 38 percent of Qingdao's total, and is expected to realize a net growth of 10 billion yuan this year with an industrial scale exceeding 100 billion yuan.

To achieve the goal, Shinan is optimizing its business environment and offering favorable policies and tailored services for enterprises. In December 2022, the district issued the "Implementation Rules for the Promotion of Marine Economic Development Policy in Shinan" with rewards for supporting enterprises' development and technological innovations.