The Qingdao municipal government and CRRC, the world's largest supplier of rail transit equipment, signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement on June 14, local media reported.

According to the agreement, the two sides will carry out in-depth cooperation in urban rail transit construction, new energy industry development and other aspects, aiming to building a world-class rail transit equipment industry cluster.

According to Qingdao officials, CRRC and Qingdao have a solid foundation for cooperation. Taking the signing of this strategic cooperation framework agreement as an opportunity for development, the two sides will strengthen practical cooperation on a broader and deeper level, accelerate the construction of platforms such as the national high-speed train technology innovation center, form more cooperation achievements in industrial development, scientific and technological innovation and other fields, and jointly write a new chapter of win-win cooperation.

"CRRC will give full play to its advantages in independent innovation and the whole industrial chain, promote higher-quality factor resources to gather in Qingdao, and make new contributions to the high-quality development of the city's economy and society," said Sun Yongcai, chairman of CRRC.

A high-speed maglev train capable of running 600 kilometers per hour is launched in Qingdao on July 20, 2021. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The rail transit industry zone is one of the first functional zones set up in Qingdao. Since the CRRC Qingdao Sifang Co (formerly known as Sifang Locomotive and Rolling Stock Factory) moved to Jihongtan subdistrict in 1986, a "bullet train town" has gradually grown here.

The CRRC Qingdao Sifang Co, which is the company behind the Hexie and Fuxing bullet trains, has propelled China to the position of a global powerhouse in high-speed train development. China's first 600 km/h high-speed maglev (magnetic levitation) train made its debut in Qingdao, Shandong province. It is one of the fastest types of ground-based public transportation in the world to date.