SHANGHAI Mayor Ying Yong met his Rotterdam counterpart, Ahmed Aboutaleb, and a delegation from the Dutch city, on Wednesday. They oversaw the signing of a three-year cooperation agreement between the two cities.

Ying said the two countries’ relationship developed well in recent years and Shanghai and Rotterdam have enjoyed fruitful cooperation since they became sister cities in 1979. Rotterdam has most exchanges with Shanghai than other foreign sister cities.

He noted that Shanghai is leading the country in free trade and globalization. The China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone is the springboard for Chinese companies to invest in Belt and Road countries.