Guangdong province, China's economic engine for the past three decades, will play a lead role under the Belt and Road Initiative framework of promoting cooperation between China and European Union member countries, a senior official from the province said in Brussels on Monday.

"During the conversation with my Belgian colleagues, their key words are about projects, projects, and projects, which shows they are passionate about attracting investment from China," said Shen Haixiong, the head of the publicity department at the Communist Party of China's Guangdong Provincial Committee. He was speaking at a forum on the Belt and Road Initiative and regional promotion between China and the EU. "Obviously, Belgian officials share the same language with us (regarding promotion of two-way investment)."

Belgium's Limburg province, where Shen has visited, already forged a sister-city partnership with Guangdong.