Over 50 representatives from 14 Belt and Road countries visited the Jinan Area of the China (Shandong) Pilot Free Trade Zone to attend a promotional and exchange event on May 16.

During the conference, the Jinan area was highlighted for its geographical advantages, industrial foundation, open resources, and business environment, and both sides explored opportunities for cooperation.

As part of the event, the representatives toured key industrial parks and leading enterprises in Jinan, gaining deeper insights through on-site visits and exchanges.

"I believe there are many areas where Bulgaria and Jinan can cooperate, such as the IT sector, tourism, and more. I hope to see more Chinese tourists visiting Bulgaria," said Yoan Boyanov, head of tourism at the Bulgarian-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

In recent years, the Jinan Area of the China (Shandong) Pilot Free Trade Zone has actively aligned with the Belt and Road Initiative by building cooperation platforms and serving as a national pilot zone for reform. Focusing on institutional innovation, it has developed competitive clusters in biomedicine, digital economy, and financial services. The area has also strengthened trade ties with Belt and Road countries through both outbound and inbound cooperation.

The area will actively implement an improvement strategy, further enhancing high-level institutional opening and deep exchanges with Belt and Road partner countries, while steadily advancing cross-border industrial value chain cooperation under the Belt and Road framework.

A view of the promotional conference for the Jinan Area of the China (Shandong) Pilot Free Trade Zone. [Photo/WeChat account: gh_dcce096845bd]

编辑：曹晓旭