Delegates from Kfar Saba, Israel visited Jinan in 2009, breaking ground for the Israeli park at the Jinan International Garden and Flower Expo with local officials. Provided to China Daily

Since it established sister-city relations with Wakayama, Japan, in 1983, Jinan, the capital of Shandong province, has gone on to set up friendly ties with other 18 foreign cities.

"These increased ties with sister cities have helped Jinan increase its international cooperation," said Zhang Jianguo, the city's mayor.

For more than two decades, Jinan has joined cooperative events with sister cities on a regular basis, including a culture festival at Hwaseong Fortress in South Korea, a spring festival in Marmaris, Turkey, and an ocean culture festival in Szczecin, Poland.

Last year, Jinan took part in conferences with forums on sister city cultivation and a seminar on environmental protection in Japan's Yamaguchi, Changwon, in South Korea, and Jinan itself.

The activities have all gone a long way in promoting further exchanges and have provided Jinan with more modern technology and ideas.

Businesses from these cities have also visited Jinan looking for development opportunities and have taken part in international events, such as the Jinan International Information Technology Expo, the Jinan Autumn Trade Fair, and the Jinan International Garden and Flower Expo.