Builders and companies from Sweden launched an eco-city alliance on Tuesday in Yantai, Shandong province, aiming to bring the North European country's ecological conceptions and technology to China's urbanization.

The China-Sweden Hammarby Eco City Alliance was unveiled at a time when China is making efforts to achieve green and sustainable development as a top national priority.

The eco-city alliance will promote the district's work on wooing investment and talents to a new level, said Li Bo, the secretary of the city's Zhifu district committee.

"The formation of the alliance is one of the most important steps to enhance the introduction of Swedish companies, resources and technologies to Chinese cities," said David Hallgren, trade commissioner of the Swedish Trade and Invest Council, one of the alliance's members.

"Sweden has been a pioneer on environmental policy making and natural resource protection. Thanks to technologies developed towards a smarter and more sustainable urban living, Sweden has made great achievements on building sustainable cities," Hallgren said.

The alliance firstly is committing to developing Yantai Hammarby Eco City in the coastal city, a unique Swedish-style community based on Stockholm's HammarbySjöstad, one of the world's best eco city examples.

White Peak, the largest European residential developer in China, is another member of the alliance. According to its group CEO and founding partner, Jesper Jos Olsson, the Yantai project aims to be a signature smart eco-city and will be an incorporation of advanced environmental technology, community management and planning philosophy from Sweden together with the digital innovations from China.

"The project will promote environmental protection concept, utilizing renewable energy, recyclable resources, and green building materials to create sustainable communities," Olsson added.

Guests attend the launching ceremony of the China-Sweden Hammarby Eco City Alliance in Yantai, Shandong province, on Tuesday. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A forum themed with sustainable development follows the launching ceremony of the China-Sweden Hammarby Eco City Alliance in Yantai, Shandong province, on Tuesday. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]