The eastern coastal city of Qingdao, Shandong province has been ramping up efforts to strengthen cooperation with Chengdu, Sichuan province, a powerhouse in China's southwestern region.

The eastern coastal city of Qingdao, Shandong province [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

On June 17 of last year, a group of officials led by Chengdu's top official toured Nanjing, Suzhou, Jiangsu, and Qingdao, which has helped Qingdao and Chengdu enhance mutual understanding and cooperation.

Officials of the two cities have vowed to deepen cooperation in various fields and set an example for collaboration between the eastern and western regions.

A team of Qingdao officials led by Qingdao's top official visited Chengdu on May 9 to boost cooperation and learn from Chengdu's advanced development practices.

People shop at a night market in Chengdu, Sichuan province. [Photo by Hua Xiaofeng/For China Daily]

Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, is one of the largest cities in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. It has a permanent population of more than 16 million and serves a population of more than 22 million. It is an economic and cultural center in southwestern China.

In 2020, the total economic output of Chengdu exceeded 1.77 trillion yuan ($275.24 billion), ranking 7th in the country, 2nd in central and western China, and 3rd among sub-provincial cities.

According to the 2020 world cities rankings released by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network (GaWC), Chengdu jumped 12 places from its 2018 ranking to the Beta+ level and ranked 59th worldwide.

According to Qingdao officials, they have much to learn from Chengdu's advanced development practices and approaches.

Source：CHINA DAILY-Charming Qingdao