A signing ceremony for Shandong province's partnerships with Accra, Ghana and Vitebsk, Belarus is held during the Shandong International Friendship Cities Conference for Cooperation and Development on Oct 16. [Photo/dzwww.com]

Shandong province signed agreements to establish new sister-city ties with Vitebsk, Belarus, Sarawak, Malaysia, and Murcia, Spain at the Shandong International Friendship Cities Conference for Cooperation and Development on Oct 16.

Over the past four decades, the province in eastern China has forged sister-city ties with 222 local governments in 61 countries and established partnerships with 1,167 educational, medical, and other institutes in 75 countries.

During the conference, the provincial government and 15 municipal governments also signed memos to strengthen ties with longtime partners such as Accra, Ghana and Bologna, Italy.

A variety of forums for governors, mayors, and small- and medium- sized companies have also been held throughout the six-day meeting.

Shandong is looking to facilitate cooperation with its international partners in trade, culture, education, and tourism, with a special focus on high-end manufacturing, electronic information, modern agriculture, and maritime science and technology,.