Transport developments raise coastal area's profile worldwide

Dalian Port connects to more than 300 ports in 160-plus countries and regions. The number of containers shipped via Dalian's sea-rail intermodal transportation system has been in the top rank among China's coastal ports for more than a decade consecutively.

The city started to offer China-Europe freight train services in 2016. Its annual transportation volume reached 35,000 twenty-foot equivalent units of containers at its peak.

Dalian is home to more than 400 large and medium-sized logistics enterprises, including eight large companies engaged in cold chain businesses. The city's booming digital economy, including information technology, big data and 5G communications, has promoted the local logistics industry onto the track of smart operations.

With regard to Dalian's role as a regional financial center, Yu Hongmei, deputy director of the city's financial development bureau, said the total assets of Dalian's financial sector have reached 2.9 trillion yuan ($403.1 billion).

The city's financial influence has been increasing domestically and internationally in recent years, Yu added.