UK's Liverpool city eyes deeper ties with Ningbo
[Video/Ningbo Daily]
As global trade dynamics continue to evolve, the city of Liverpool in the United Kingdom sees Ningbo – located in East China's Zhejiang province – as a strategic partner in strengthening its supply chain resilience and advancing the innovation of its world-renowned port.
In a recent interview conducted during the 2025 Maritime Silk Road Port Cooperation Forum, Cabinet Member for Growth and Economy at Liverpool City Council Nick Small emphasized the natural connection between the two cities.
Both shaped by the sea, Ningbo and Liverpool share not only port infrastructure but also a spirit of openness and international engagement.
Small noted that visiting Ningbo's bustling port brought a sense of familiarity — cranes, containers and cargo vessels echoed scenes from Liverpool's own waterfront. This shared port identity, he suggested, formed a solid foundation for deeper collaboration.
He pointed to a strong complementarity between the two cities. Ningbo's leadership in artificial intelligence and robotics, he said, aligned well with Liverpool's advancements in its green port technologies.
Small said that through joint exploration of their smart port systems and automation, both sides could contribute to building more efficient and sustainable global supply chains.
Policy innovation was another key theme in the interview. Small described how Liverpool's Freeport leveraged tax incentives to attract investment and create employment.
He expressed his interest during the interview in learning from the Zhejiang Free Trade Zone's experience in Ningbo – seeing potential for mutual exchange on regulatory design and industrial support mechanisms.
Cultural and creative cooperation also featured prominently in the talks in the forum. According to Small, Liverpool's football economy — particularly the global influence of Liverpool Football Club — has brought substantial value to the city, both economically and socially.
He observed that Chinese consumers' enthusiasm for club merchandise, boosted through cross-border e-commerce, demonstrates the power of sports as a bridge for people-to-people ties.
Looking ahead, Small considered music to be a promising area for future partnerships. With Liverpool's legacy as the birthplace of The Beatles and its designation as a UNESCO City of Music – and with Ningbo actively building its own musical identity – he saw real potential for cultural dialogues, talent exchanges and the development of the creative industries in the two cities.
