Qingdao in East China's Shandong province signs a friendly cooperation agreement with Gwangju in South Korea on Nov 21. [Photo/WeChat account: gh_c530128dd9e8]

Qingdao in East China's Shandong province signed a friendly cooperation agreement with Gwangju in South Korea on Nov 21. This marked Qingdao's establishment of friendly city relationships with all six major metropolitan cities in South Korea, with Gwangju becoming Qingdao's eighth sister city in South Korea.

Qingdao is an important coastal city in China with renowned history and culture. This modern marine city, also serves as an international comprehensive transportation hub city that is continuously opening-up to the outside world and striving towards becoming a modern international metropolis. There is significant complementary space and broad prospects for industrial cooperation between Qingdao and Gwangju.

Gwangju is the fifth largest city in South Korea and a hub city for administration, economy, society, and culture in the southwest of the country. It covers an area of 501.3 square kilometers and has a population of 1.5 million.

In recent years, Gwangju has vigorously developed three core strategic industries—lighting, design, and high-tech components—on the basis of existing industries such as automobiles, machinery, electrical appliances, and electronics, and has put a special focus on nurturing the solar energy industry.

Known as the city of culture and arts in South Korea, Gwangju was designated as South Korea's cultural capital by the South Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism in 2004. Since 2011, Qingdao and Gwangju have interacted frequently, with rich exchanges in economy, trade, environmental protection, and culture.