A platform to deepen cooperation between Shandong, African countries was launched in Jinan, Shandong province on Feb 28.

The platform was initiated by the Foreign Affairs Office of Shandong Provincial People's Government and it will join with industry alliances, business associations and other institutions in Shandong to provide policy interpretation, resource matching and intellectual support services for cooperation between Shandong and African countries.

Li Yongsen, deputy director of the Foreign Affairs Office of Shandong Provincial People's Government, said at the launching ceremony that Africa is rich in natural resources and has a vast market and huge potential for development.

"Under the new development pattern of domestic and international dual circulation, strengthening cooperation with Africa is of great significance for Shandong to promote a high-level opening-up to the outside world," Li said.

Ali Seddiki, advisor to minister delegate to the head of government of Morocco, delivered a speech via an online video at the launching ceremony, congratulating the launch of the Africa Bridge service platform and welcoming Shandong enterprises to start businesses in Morocco.

"Shandong and Morocco have great cooperation potential in the fields of automobile machinery manufacturing, new energy utilization, agricultural development and trade, and infrastructure construction," said Reda Oudghiri Idrissi, economic counselor of the Moroccan Embassy in China.

He hoped that the two sides will make use of the Africa Bridge service platform to promote the cooperation between Shandong and Morocco as a model of China-Morocco and China-Africa cooperation.

Attendees at the launching ceremony of the Africa Bridge service platform pose for a group photo on Feb 28. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]