Shandong hails era of closer ties

Shandong, a province in East China famous for its hospitality, has a history of welcoming guests from far and wide. 

This year marks 40 years since Shandong began to form sister-city relationships. 

Its first relationships were formed with Qingdao, a coastal city in the province, and Shimonoseki in Japan during 1979. Shandong has since formed partnerships with cities in 61 countries. 

Over the past four decades, Shandong has worked to encourage exchanges and cooperative relationships with its partners from around the world. Real results have been achieved by focusing on the comparative advantages of both sides. 

In order to improve communication links with partner cities and drive cooperation in various areas, Shandong Provincial People's Government and the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries jointly hosted the "Shandong International Friendship Cities Conference for Cooperation and Development" from Oct 15 to 20.