Qingdao in East China's Shandong province has been ranked 15th among international shipping centers, according to the 2020 Xinhua-Baltic International Shipping Centre Development (ISCD) Index.

The index, jointly released by the Baltic Exchange and Chinese state news agency Xinhua, provides an independent ranking of the performance of the world's largest cities that offer port and shipping business services.

The index is based on factors including port throughput, infrastructure, professional maritime support services and general business environment. It has been released for seven consecutive years since 2014.

Qingdao has been steadily moving up the rankings through the years. It was ranked 19th in 2018, 17th in 2019 and 15th this year, an indication that the city has achieved significant progress in its goal to become an international shipping center, local officials said. 

Qingdao Port in Shandong province is one of the 10 busiest ports in the world. [Photo provided to China Daily]

In order to improve the service capacity of Qingdao Port, Qingdao has established a professional organization represented by the Qingdao International Shipping Service Center, which has achieved remarkable results in shipping informatization, shipping research, shipping finance and high-end personnel training.

The city has also made great efforts to raise its global influence in shipping, trade and finance.

According to official statistics, the throughput of goods and containers at Qingdao Port last year reached 602 million tons and 21.83 million TEUs (20-foot equivalent units), up by 6.9 percent and 8.8 percent respectively, both ranking fifth in China.

This year, Qingdao will continue to accelerate the construction of port infrastructure and smart ports to better serve as a transportation hub connecting Japan, South Korea and SCO-related economies.

The top five international shipping centers of 2020 were the same as the previous year. Singapore, which topped the list for the seventh consecutive year, was followed by London, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Dubai.