Jan Jambon (left), minister-president of Flanders; Kevin De Hainaut (second from left), CEO of Cordeel Zetel Temse; Lingang Group Chief Financial Officer Yang Jing (second from right), and Bruge Mayor and Chairman of Port of Zeebrugge Dirk De fauw (right) attend the laying of the foundation stone for the Lingang Overseas Zeebrugge Modern Industrial Park in the Belgian port of Zeebrugge on Wednesday. [Zhou Yuchao/For China Daily]

The Lingang Group, the largest industrial park developer in Shanghai, and its Belgian partner, the Port of Zeebrugge, have wasted no time in launching a major logistics project in Belgium as the country lifted most lockdown restrictions amid an improving COVID-19 pandemic situation.

A ceremony took place on Wednesday in the Port of Zeebrugge, to mark the laying of the foundation stone for the Lingang Overseas Zeebrugge Modern Industrial Park.

"The sudden outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020 disrupted the pace of construction of our project, but we have overcome the difficulties together," said Lingang Group Chairman Yuan Guohua.

Guests celebrate at the laying of the foundation stone for the Lingang Overseas Zeebrugge Modern Industrial Park in the Belgian port of Zeebrugge on Wednesday. [Zhou Yuchao/For China Daily]

"I believe that today's ceremony will become a landmark event in the history of Sino-Belgian economic and trade cooperation and will make new contribution to the bilateral economic and trade ties," he said in a video message recorded for the ceremony.

The Lingang Group's headquarters is situated close to Pudong International Airport and Yangshan Port, which are among the busiest air and sea ports in the world.

Yuan applauded the cooperation between the two sides over the past three years, since a cooperation agreement was signed in Belgium on Oct 17, 2018, witnessed by visiting Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and the then-prime minister of Belgium Charles Michel, who is now president of the European Council.

While focusing on the cooperation on the logistics park, the two sides also jointly attended the China International Import Expo in Shanghai. Lingang also inked a cooperation deal with Belgium's VIVES University of Applied Sciences, witnessed by Her Royal Highness Princess Astrid of Belgium, who led a big business delegation to China in November 2019.

"I think it's a very, very important investment of the Lingang Group here and the port of Zeebrugge," said Carl Decaluwe, governor of West Flanders, where the port is located.

He explained that this is because the project will create a very important hub not only for the Belgian Flemish market, but also the European market, and as a gateway to the United Kingdom.

"That's very important for the whole of Europe," he said.

Decaluwe added that it is a port "not only to import things from China, but also exporting our good products to China".

"I think it's a win-win situation. And I am very happy that

Lingang Group chose Zeebrugge for this big investment."

The ceremony to lay the foundation stone for the Lingang Overseas Zeebrugge Modern Industrial Park in the Belgian port of Zeebrugge was held on Wednesday. [Zhou Yuchao/For China Daily]

The first phase of the project covers 15 hectares of land, where Lingang will build 76,000 square meters of logistics warehouses and 22,000 square meters of container yard. With an investment of 50 million euros ($59 million), it is expected to be completed by August 2022.

Yang Jing, Lingang Group's chief financial officer, attended the ceremony. She expressed that demand for the logistics warehouses has been very strong, including from some e-commerce giants.

Lingang Group also has plans to develop another 15 hectares of land for the second phase of the project, which will include 90,000 square meters of logistics warehouses.

The whole project will be developed in cooperation with Cosco Shipping Ports (CSP). Cosco acquired the APM deep-sea container terminal in Zeebrugge in 2017 with the aim of turning it into a Northern European hub.

Wednesday's ceremony came after the Port of Zeebrugge and Port of Antwerp reached an agreement in February for a merger into the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, making it one of Europe's major ports.

Bruges Mayor Dirk De fauw, who is also chairman of Port of Zeebrugge, said that he is very pleased Lingang has chosen Zeebrugge for the major project.

While praising Zeebrugge for having all the capabilities to play a leading role in deep-sea port services, he also applauded the Chinese partners.

Guests celebrate at the laying of the foundation stone for the Lingang Overseas Zeebrugge Modern Industrial Park in the Belgian port of Zeebrugge on Wednesday. [Zhou Yuchao/For China Daily]

"They manage more than 7 square kilometers of distribution zones in the Shanghai region and bring with them the know-how and experience to attract world players to Zeebrugge," he said.

"I am convinced that this logistics platform will considerably strengthen our economic position, both globally and in the region," he added.

China's Ambassador to Belgium Cao Zhongming praised the Belgian partners in the Flanders region for their cooperation in the project.

"China has always attached great importance to extensive and pragmatic cooperation with Flanders. We appreciate the rigorous, pragmatic, innovative spirits and global vision of Flemish enterprises, and China is ready to work with you to further tap into the business potential between the two sides," he said in a video message recorded for the ceremony.