Pingyao county in North China's Shanxi province has signed a cooperation agreement with two of China's leading financial and technology companies to build a big data center and develop the county into a "smart city".

Confirmed at a signing ceremony in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, on April 9, the deal will see Pingyao team up with global telecommunications company Huawei Techologies and CITICS Urban Development & Investment Asset Management, a subsidiary of China's top securities companies, CITIC Securities, which focuses on building, investing in and operating smart cities.

The signing ceremony for the cooperation among Huawei Technologies, CITICS Urban Development & Investment Asset Management and Pingyao county, Shanxi province, on a big data center project is held in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, on April 8. [Photo/pingyao.gov.cn]

According to the agreement, Huawei will help boost Pingyao's big data industry with its advantages in brand influence, technologies, services and market development.

CITICS Asset Management will provide comprehensive financing and investment solutions for smart city establishment and integrate industrial and business resources based on its competitiveness in areas like industrial investment research.

Huang Haitao, deputy mayor of Jinzhong, which administers Pingyao county, addresses the signing ceremony in Shenzhen on April 8. [Photo/pingyao.gov.cn]

Huang Haitao, deputy mayor of Jinzhong city, which administers Pingyao county, congratulated the three parties on forming the partnership, and said he hoped that Pingyao will advance the integration of big data with other industries, such as tourism, agriculture and education with the support of two companies.

Pingyao has included the big data project in its government work plan for 2017 to enhance the intelligent urban management.

Details of big data projects, including database establishment, technological security and risk aversion, were further discussed during the signing ceremony.