Binzhou in East China's Shandong province has been ramping up efforts to strengthen economic and industrial cooperation with ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), which has led to growing mutual trust, according to local officials.

The ASEAN-China (Binzhou) Industrial Cooperation Conference opened on April 25 in Binzhou, gathering about 150 officials from ASEAN diplomatic and consular missions in China, representatives from China and ASEAN business associations, as well as key enterprises from ASEAN countries.

Binzhou and ASEAN reach cooperation intention agreements in many fields. [Photo/Binzhou News]

Hosted by the ASEAN-China Centre, the Office of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the CPC Shandong Provincial Committee, the Binzhou municipal government, and the China-ASEAN Business Council, the event included an opening ceremony, forums, project match-making sessions, and an industrial exhibition.

Binzhou is one of the birthplaces of Sun Tzu culture, Yellow River culture, and Qi culture, with a long history and talented people, said Cai Xianjin, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the CPC Shandong Provincial Committee.

In recent years, Binzhou has seized national strategic opportunities to boost the high-quality development of industrial clusters of advantagous industries, Cai noted, adding that Binzhou and ASEAN member states have broad cooperation space and development opportunities.

Song Yongxiang, Party secretary of Binzhou, delivers a speech at the event. [Photo/Binzhou News]

With the further implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative, the exchanges between Binzhou and ASEAN countries have been further strengthened, with trade between both parties growing rapidly, said Song Yongxiang, Party secretary of Binzhou.

Official statistics showed that in 2022, Binzhou's import and export volume to ASEAN countries reached 27.31 billion yuan ($3.95 billion), accounting for 22.3 percent of the city's total foreign trade.

The ASEAN-Binzhou Project Centre is inaugurated. [Photo/Binzhou News]

Binzhou will promote closer economic and trade relations with ASEAN, as well as expand mutual cooperation in more fields like education, culture, and cross-border e-commerce, promoting new achievements in China-ASEAN cooperation and East Asia cooperation, said Song.

During the event, the two sides reached cooperation intention in many fields, and the ASEAN-Binzhou Project Centre was officially inaugurated. Binzhou also signed a letter of intent on friendly city relations with Cambodia's Stung Treng Province.