The "Building Trust and Confidence" UK-Shandong Industry Dialogue Series - Petrochemical Industry event was held on Nov 17 in Jinan, capital of Shandong province.

Shandong and the UK host an event to boost industrial cooperation. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The event, which was jointly hosted by the Office of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the CPC Shandong Provincial Committee and the British Embassy in China, focused on the transformation and development of petrochemical industry, and aimed to build a dialogue and cooperation platform for Shandong and British enterprises and industries.

Anthea Heffernan, counselor for regional cooperation in China at the British Embassy in Beijing, said the UK and Shandong have a long history of cooperation in areas like music, culture, sport, education, trade and investment, and the bilateral relationship between the two sides has been growing.

She also expressed hope that the petrochemical industry would obtain more professional, reliable, clean and efficient solutions that contribute to trade and investment relations between the two countries.

Participants attend the event. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

"Shandong is willing to join hands with the UK to further promote all-round exchanges and cooperation in various fields such as economic and trade investment, energy transformation, all-scene digitalization, high-end equipment manufacturing, education technology and cultural tourism," said Cai Xianjin, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the CPC Shandong Provincial Committee.

An official from the Shandong Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology said that the industrial cooperation between Shandong and the UK has a good foundation and great potential, and that this event provided a valuable platform for both sides to learn from advanced experience and exchange advanced technologies.

Shandong is major petrochemical powerhouse in China. The revenue of its petrochemical industry was 2.76 trillion yuan ($384.45 billion) in 2022, the highest in the country.