At today’s meeting in Aalborg Maritime & Logistics, more than 50 North Jutland business leaders gathered for a visit from Denmark’s Consul General in Shanghai, Jens Martin Alsbirk, to hear and discuss how “the Middle Kingdom” is an indispensable global player.

China’s “Made in China 2025” master strategy is extensive and outlines the ten key industries in which the country aims to become a global leader — including space, high-speed rail, AI, maritime industries, electric vehicles, and aviation.

One of the challenges in dealing with China, as Alsbirk noted, is that they “sew with a long thread” — meaning they think long-term, act decisively, and are not bound by the same community consultations as in Western democracies.

Another challenge is their industrial capacity. For instance, China’s largest shipyard launches a new vessel every five days and has 19 ships under construction simultaneously. However, CEO Henrik Sørensen emphasized that we should not be intimidated — collaboration is key, especially at the local government level, which is indeed possible with the support of the Royal Danish Crown and the Consulate.

A big thank you to John Kristian Pedersen and DESMI for hosting and providing hospitality, and to Jens Martin Alsbirk and Qiaoqun Pan from the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs / Consulate in Shanghai for visiting North Jutland and sharing their perspectives on Danish–Chinese trade relations.