Shandong, Japan pledge closer ties
China DailyA promotional conference on deepening opening-up and cooperation between Shandong and Japan was held in Tokyo on Dec 6. The conference, held during a visit to Japan by Shandong government representatives, was meant to promote opening-up and cooperation between China and Japan and improve bilateral economic and trade cooperation. Liu Jiayi, Party chief of Shandong province, delivered a keynote speech at the conference saying that Shandong and Japan are friendly neighbors enjoying close ties in many areas. Kong said that Shandong attaches great importance to its relationship with Japan, and that the two sides have seen impressive results in economic, trade, and cultural cooperation. Officials from Shandong's Jinan, Qingdao, and Yantai promoted the China Pilot Free Trade Zone at the conference, while the Shandong Provincial State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission promoted the province's key projects and expressed a desire to replace old growth drivers with new ones.