Jining in East China's Shandong province and Pskov in Russia signed an agreement on Aug 18 to become sister cities.

Yu Yongsheng, Jining's mayor, said at the signing ceremony that Jining has a slew of advantages in terms of culture, transportation, industries, and international cooperation. The city is the cradle of Confucian culture and plays an important role in forming Chinese culture. It is home to many national-level industrial bases for sectors like engineering machinery, biomedicine, textiles, and clothing.

Jining is open to the world, with China-Europe freight trains linking it with European cities like Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and Warsaw, said Yu. The city has established friendships with 38 cities in 20 countries, as well as trades with more than 180 nations and regions in the world.

Russia is one of Jining's most important trading partners, with the total trade volume between the two sides reaching 2 billion yuan ($307.62 million). In addition, 55 Fortune Global 500 companies have established businesses in Jining.

Pskov and Jining have many things in common, said Yu. Pskov is also a city with rich culture, a long history, and a number of tourist attractions.

Jining and Pskov will launch more programs and initiatives based on mutual trust and understanding to enhance cooperation, as well as to bolster development in sectors like investment and education, said Elena Polonskaya, mayor of Pskov. She added that Russia has been in cooperation with China for a long time, with friendships established between many cities in the two countries.

Jining Polytechnic signed an education project cooperation agreement with Pskov State University on the sidelines of the ceremony.