SAO PAULO, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- China's Shandong province and Brazil's Sao Paulo state have agreed to strengthen economic cooperation, the state government said Wednesday.

As part of the deal, Sao Paulo's Deputy Governor Felicio Ramuth on Monday welcomed a Chinese delegation, according to a government release.

The meeting at the government headquarters "aimed to strengthen relations between the province of Shandong and the state of Sao Paulo," said the release.

Sao Paulo today has a bold project of concessions, public-private partnerships and privatizations, said Ramuth.

China has been Brazil's top trade partner since 2009.

Sao Paulo is Brazil's most populous state and one of Latin America's leading financial and industrial centers, contributing one-third of Brazil's gross domestic product.