Agreements are signed at the Shanxi International Cooperation Conference in Taiyuan on May 7. [Photo/sxxncw.cn]

An international cooperation conference for seeking economic partnerships in the Middle East was held in Taiyuan, capital of Shanxi province, on May 7.

Hosted by the Shanxi Department of Commerce and Department of Agriculture, the conference aimed to introduce opportunities within the province brought by the Belt and Road Initiative to help local small and medium-sized enterprises enter the Middle Eastern market.

"We will take the opportunity to expand domestic and international markets, and advance industrial transformation, as the national initiative has simplified and accelerated customs clearances from different regions in China" said Meng Cai, chairman of Shanxi's Caida International Culture and Logistics Co.

Economic and commercial counselors from the embassies of Iran, Afghanistan and the Central Africa Republic introduced the economic prospects and associated investment policies of each of their respective countries to businesses attending the event.

The Shanxi Operations Center for Middle East Business Platform, a cross-border e-commerce platform targeted at the Middle Eastern market, was also founded during the conference. The platform signed cooperation agreements with three Shanxi-based companies, including the Shanxi Agricultural Products Group and Shanxi’s Qinyuanchun Mineral Water Co.