Germany's Mannheim city considers express rail connection with China's Qingdao

Peter Kurz (left), mayor of the city of Mannheim, Germany, introduces his city at the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries in Beijing on August 30, 2016, with Chen Xiaofei, head of Department for China Affairs Mannheim as his translator. [Photo by Song Jingli/chinadaily.com.cn]

Peter Kurz, mayor of Mannheim, a city in southern Germany revealed in Beijing on Tuesday that he is considering connecting the city with its Chinese partner city, Qingdao in East China's Shandong province via express railway lines to facilitate bilateral commercial activities, responding to China's Belt and Road Initiatives.

Kurz expressed this hope at the city promotion conference held by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and explained that he came up with this idea during his delegation's negotiations with multiple Chinese companies on this visit to China and realized that there are many opportunities in the country.

The mayor told media attending the conference that this is not to say he wants to build a new railway line, but to connect current ones to make an express line. He admitted that he is not sure what needs to be done to make this plan come true but will find out later when he is back in Germany.

If the plan is realized, even Switzerland and France to the south of Germany can be connected to China, he said.

Kurz said at the conference that Mannheim, which was the birthplace of the world's first bicycle, the first automobile and the first elevator, wants to stand out as a city that welcomes innovation and entrepreneurship.

Herr Dr. Peter Kurz (center), mayor of the city of Mannheim, Germany and his delegation pose for a photo with potential Chinese partners at the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries in Beijing on August 30, 2016. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

"We cannot rely on our big companies such as SAP and Roche only; we want to focus on small businesses and want to help them cooperate with big ones and help them go global."

The mayor said Mannheim city, which has more incubators than Berlin, will launch a "China Center" in September to welcome Chinese enterprises.

The city will provide a remodeled cluster, one-stop services, executive policy supports to Chinese companies that run business in Mannheim, in addition to organizing mutual visits between Chinese and German enterprises.

Chen Xiaofei, head of Department for China Affairs Mannheim told chinadaily.com.cn that some members of the delegation met incubators in Haidian district, Beijing during this visit but she did not reveal details on the results of these business talks.

Kurz said that he will lead another delegation, made up of mainly business people, to China in October and that this visit has helped many delegates, who came to China for the first time, to learn about China beyond what the media has told them.

Mannheim is the only German city that boasts two Chinese partner cities, Qingdao and Zhenjiang in East China's Jiangsu province.