An English-language news portal for Qingdao's Shinan district (http://qingdao.chinadaily.com.cn/shinan/) was officially launched on Oct 25 with the support of the publicity department of CPC Shinan district committee and China Daily.

The website, which aims to give foreigners a window into Shinan district in East China's Shandong province, will serve as a platform for promoting cooperation between the district and foreign countries.

The portal, which has a blue-colored interface, has six main sections: About, Media Center, Doing Business, Culture, Travel and Services. It will serve as an important source of information for foreigners interested in the district.

Wang Hao, deputy editor-in-chief of China Daily, Mao Jialuan, deputy director of the CPC Qingdao publicity department, Hua Yusong, Party secretary of Shinan district, as well as other figures from both sides, attended the launch ceremony.

While addressing the ceremony, Wang Hao said that the website would help the district present its unique charm to the world.

Ke Rongyi, director of the new media department of China Daily, delivered a lecture on strengthening the area's capacity for international communication in the new era.

Shi Liwei, deputy editor-in-chief of China Daily Multimedia Wuxi Co Ltd, introduced the new portal.

Shinan district, as a pilot area for economic development in Shandong province and a central area of Qingdao, is accelerating the transformation of development drivers by focusing on the headquarters and fashion economies and improving the modern industrial system.

China Daily, which was founded in 1981, is a leading Chinese news agency with a growing international audience. It has become the country's most influential English-language comprehensive multimedia outlet and has launched over 200 English-language websites for local governments, institutions and enterprises.