Yantai, a coastal city in East China's Shandong province, establishes friendly cooperative relations with Changwon, South Korea on May 20. [Photo/IC]

On May 20, Yantai, a coastal city in East China's Shandong province, established friendly cooperative relations with Changwon, South Korea, bringing Yantai's international friendship network to 51 cities in 26 countries.

Changwon, located in South Korea's southeastern coastal region, serves as the administrative center of Gyeongsangnam-do, spanning an area of 747.27 square kilometers and home to a population of approximately 1.1 million. Renowned as an emerging mechanical industry hub and a pivotal port city in South Korea, Changwon's industrial parks and concentration of major corporations make it the "industrial heart" of the country.

Both Yantai and Changwon are actively driving the development of industries in digitalization, cutting-edge manufacturing, and green technologies. With strong industrial complementarity between the two cities, there is vast potential for collaboration in various sectors such as economy, technology, culture, education, tourism, and ports.

Over the past 30 years of diplomatic ties between China and South Korea, Yantai has capitalized on its geographical, cultural, and industrial advantages to create a close relationship with South Korea, yielding significant outcomes.