Rotterdam and Shanghai Friday signed a cooperation protocol aimed at stimulating mutual trade and logistical services.

Mayor Ivo Opstelten of Rotterdam, the largest port in Europe, said the two cities have made full use of their locations to become important regional maritime centres, and under the new protocol, which runs from 2004 to 2006, "we would like to take a step further and build a Euro-Asiatic cargo highway."

The Netherlands' port of Rotterdam witnessed an 11 percent growth in container traffic in the first half of this year, and Chinese ports -- Shanghai in particular -- accounted for 33 percent of that increase, according to officials of Rotterdam.

Rotterdam currently handles 310 million tons of cargo annually.

Shanghai, the largest port on the Chinese mainland, has seen container traffic increase by 30 percent annually in recent years. The total number of TEU containers (20-foot equivalent units) shipped through the port is expected to exceed 10 million this year, which could boost it to No. 4 in the world, according to local authorities.

"The potential of the trade and logistical cooperation between the two cities is enormous," said Osptelten, who led a delegation of 45 prominent Dutch business people.

Meanwhile, the two cities will celebrate the 25th anniversary of their twinning later this year.

"As a sister city of Shanghai, we would like to further promote our cooperations and exchanges in other fields such as culture, education, archives and construction," said Opstelten.

(China Daily September 20, 2003)