The Zibo Inland Port officially opened to the public on March 2, as five cargo trains carrying $11 million in goods set off for the West Coast New Area of Qingdao.

The Zibo Inland Port is a dry port and an inland extension of Qingdao Port, connected by rail to the docks.

The Zibo inland port officially opens to the public on March 2 in Zibo, Shandong province. [Photo/WeChat account: LZCBweixin]

The Zibo government also signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Shandong Port Group, which has integrated the major ports in the province, including Qingdao Port, Yantai Port, Rizhao Port, and the Bohai Bay Port Group, to help Zibo take full advantage of its potential, connect it to countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, and increase its international profile.

"Although Zibo is not a coastal city, it is still open to the outside world," said Jiang Duntao, Party secretary of the city.

A cargo train departs from the Zibo Inland Port to the Qingdao West Coast New Area on March 2. [Photo/WeChat account: LZCBweixin]

Zibo is a logistics hub that serves the central Shandong area, while Shandong Port Group is the world's largest port group in terms of cargo throughput, said Jiang, who added that the Shandong Port Group will be an important urban development partner for Zibo.

Jiang said that Zibo will further improve its inland port infrastructure, strengthen policy integration support, and construct an open processing center and comprehensive free trade zone in the city in order to develop into a regional multimodal transportation hub.

"The launch of the inland port is like a 'golden key', unlocking vast potential for the future development of Zibo," said Jiang.

Huo Gaoyuan, chairman of Shandong Port Group, said that the Zibo Inland Port has great development potential and broad market space.

The two sides have already made great progress in multimodal transport cooperation, Huo said. The inland port will better serve enterprises in the hinterland, and goods from Zibo can be shipped directly to Qingdao Port.