Shen Li, vice-president and co-founder of Hema. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Freshippo, also known as Hema, a leading Chinese fresh food retailer, has expressed its commitment to further expanding its footprint in Shandong province, according to Shen Li, vice-president and co-founder of the company.

"This is my first time attending the summit," Shen said during an interview with China Daily website at the ongoing fifth Qingdao Multinationals Summit held in Qingdao, where she hopes to gain deeper insights into Shandong's future policy orientations and align Hema's business strategy accordingly.

"Shandong offers a compelling business environment with its strategic location, supportive policies, talented workforce, and robust consumer market," Shen said. "The province's commitment to creating a favorable investment climate, as evidenced by initiatives like the program of promoting digital certificates and tax-related convenience measures, has significantly benefited our business."

According to Shen, Hema has been rapidly expanding its network across major Chinese cities, and Shandong, as a major economic center, is a strategic focus. The company had already established 14 stores in Qingdao and Jinan by the end of August, 2024.

To further support Shandong's green and high-quality development, Hema plans to expand into cities like Weifang and Dongying, while also deepening its engagement in local agricultural development through initiatives such as "Hema Village", added Shen.

Shen said that these projects aim to connect Shandong's high-quality agricultural products with consumers nationwide, while providing farmers with data and technological support. Hema is also collaborating with Shandong's carbon sink platform to reduce its carbon footprint across the entire supply chain, from farming to logistics and sales.

The fifth Qingdao Multinationals Summit is being held from Aug 27 to 29 in Qingdao, Shandong province. The event is set to provides businesses with opportunities for collaboration with multinational corporations as well as propel industrial transformation, upgrading, and high-quality development.