Shandong has unveiled the Three-Year Action Plan on Exchanges and Cooperation between Shandong Province and Central Asian Countries (2024-2026) to implement the consensus reached at the China-Central Asia Summit. The Plan aims to advance the overall diplomatic development of the region, align with the Belt and Road Initiative, and create a new hub for regional collaboration with Central Asian countries. It urges the province to strengthen the top-level design of exchanges and cooperation with Central Asia and work together to promote regional cooperation with Central Asia.

The Plan focuses on actively integrating into and serving the new development paradigm and promoting high-quality development through high-standard opening-up. With 18 specific measures in five aspects, it has clarified the cooperation goals between Shandong and Central Asian countries in key areas, including friendly city exchanges, economic and trade cooperation, connectivity and people-to-people exchanges, over the next three years. By deepening mutually beneficial cooperation and optimizing resource allocation, the Plan seeks to foster and expand new productive forces, thereby injecting fresh impetus into green, low-carbon, and high-quality development.

In 2023, Shandong has established 14 pairs of friendly cities and cooperative relationships at all levels with Central Asian countries. The China-Europe (Qilu) freight train operated a total of 2,566 trips throughout the year. These achievements have unprecedentedly deepened mutually beneficial cooperation, connectivity, and people-to-people exchanges between Shandong and Central Asian countries.