Once again, the shores of Fushan Bay welcome a grand gathering.

On June 15, the 7th Qingdao Multinationals Summit officially commenced at the Qingdao International Conference Center. Jointly hosted by the Ministry of Commerce and the People’s Government of Shandong Province, this year’s summit aligns with the prevailing trends of our era. Centering on the theme “Multinational Corporations and China: Joining Hands for a New and Bright Future Under the 15th Five-Year Plan,” it convenes global corporate leaders to deliberate on cooperation and explore emerging opportunities.

Since its inception in 2019, the summit has been held for seven consecutive sessions. As a premier national platform for China to showcase its high-level opening-up to the world and link resources from multinational enterprises, this event—rooted in Qingdao, radiating across the nation, and connecting the globe—continues to inject potent momentum into Sino-foreign industrial alignment, capital cooperation, and innovation synergy.

Each rendezvous brings fresh rounds of commitment. Global capital remains persistently bullish on Qingdao, increasing its stakes, and deepening its roots here. The underlying confidence stems not merely from unique location advantages, but from the city’s unwavering dedication to honoring its promises of openness.

Qingdao’s openness has long transcended the traditional definition of a “port of exit.” It is evolving into a pivotal hub for allocating global capital, technology, talent, and data. By proactively serving as the “Yellow River’s Gateway” and launching comprehensive customs coordination across the basin, Qingdao radiates the dividends of opening-up to vast hinterlands, achieving a leap from a mere “gateway” to a “hub.” It is not just a super-hub for cargo transportation, but a high-energy platform where capital, technology, and cooperative opportunities converge.

This hub capability—characterized by “land-sea linkage and east-west mutual support”—positions Qingdao as the primary entry point for global capital seeking access to North China's markets and the supply chains of the Yellow River Basin. Leveraging the summit platform, investment stories of multinational corporations continue to unfold here.

Alstom, the French rail giant, has cultivated its presence in Qingdao for nearly three decades. Starting in 1998 with a single production workshop, it has leveraged Qingdao’s comprehensive rail transit ecosystem and the summit’s cooperative opportunities to upgrade step-by-step into a core North China manufacturing base covering the entire chain—from R&D and manufacturing to operation, maintenance, and service. This journey mirrors the synchronized growth of foreign enterprises alongside Qingdao’s industrial landscape.

AstraZeneca, the British biopharmaceutical titan, has participated in the summit for six consecutive years. Its continuous capital injections and production expansions underscore its full confidence in Qingdao’s open development prospects.

While old friends remain steadfast, new partners arrive with anticipation. Li Ximeng, Founding President of the Danish Chamber of Commerce in China and Founder & CEO of Trayton Group, articulated the shared sentiment of global entrepreneurs: a long-term optimism regarding China's market opportunities, a confidence in Qingdao’s open business environment, and an eagerness to leverage the summit platform to link resources, deepen layouts, and share dividends.

More multinational enterprises are riding the momentum of this summit. Standing at the new starting line of the 15th Five-Year Plan, they are heading toward the next chapter of their covenant with Qingdao.

Addressing the demand for higher-level opening-up, this year’s summit introduces a major innovation. Notably, it debuts a Country-themed Enterprises Day, designed to refine international economic and trade matchmaking with precision. Seizing the occasion of the 55th anniversary of China-Türkiye diplomatic relations, the event will feature the 2026 China (Shandong)–Türkiye Exchange Day, alongside the Shandong–ASEAN Cooperation Conference on Housing and Urban-Rural Development. Through these two dedicated sessions, Qingdao continues to broaden the channels of international cooperation, taking pragmatic actions to expand high-level opening-up.

Transitioning from a geographic transportation hub to a high ground of institutional openness, and from a traditional industrial cluster to a frontier innovation source, the true reason global capital continues to anchor in Qingdao lies in the “certainty” forged by the city—through each summit held, every project implemented, and every institutional reform enacted.

The tide of Fushan Bay never ceases. This covenant of openness is more than a series of gatherings; it is an evolving ecosystem of mutual growth and shared success. Standing at this new starting line, Qingdao will keep its doors wide open, joining hands with global multinational corporations to embark on the splendid new journey of the 15th Five-Year Plan​and co-author a new chapter of high-quality development through high-level opening-up.