On 27 March 2023 a delegation from the Chinese city of Nantong visited Denmark. The delegation was headed by Mayor Mr Yang Wanping as well as a series of high-ranking officials from the city administration including its commercial bureau and its Green Innovation Fund.

Nanjing is located in China´s Jiangsu-region and is relatively close to Shanghai. Nantong has a population of 7.73 mill and covers 8.544 km2. It is especially known for its rich maritime industry and its more than 320 maritime companies deliver 1 of every 4 pieces of maritime equipment and build 1 of 6 vessels made in China.

The Nantong delegation paid a visit to the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in central Copenhagen, where they met with the ministry´s investment promotion wing “Invest in Denmark”.  Special Advisor for tech and maritime Mr Joachim Arup Fischer introduced to how foreign companies can expand their maritime business by investing in Denmark, whose sizeable maritime sector is conducive to new foreign companies.

Danish Maritime was invited to present the strongholds of the Danish maritime industry regarding green and climate-friendly technologies for ships. Director for International Affairs Bjarke Wiehe Bøtcher presented both the rich joint maritime history of Denmark and China as well as the opportunities of bringing bilateral maritime cooperation into a new modern age by jointly addressing topics of global relevance such as decarbonization.

According to the most recent figures, Danish maritime companies have 36 subsidiaries in China providing well-paid and high-tech jobs for 5462 employees throughout China. Likewise, several Chinese maritime companies are established in Denmark, but the potential for increased bilateral trade is even larger.

Very fittingly, the Danish-Chinese meeting took place in historical surroundings that played a major role in Danish-Chinese maritime relations. Eigtveds Pakhus, built in 1748, served as a warehouse for Asiatisk Kompagni (Danish Asia Company) which took care of Denmark´s trade with China 1730-1843. The upper floors functioned as a warehouse, while the ground floor contained a shop, where customers could purchase luxury goods such as porcelain, tea, silk, and chinaware brought home by sea from China. Today, the historic building houses meetings and conferences of the Danish ministries.