Authorities from five cities in Guangdong province signed agreements on Friday to build transportation infrastructure in the eastern region of the province.

The agreement was signed between Shantou, Jieyang, Chaozhou, Shanwei and Meizhou during the annual East Guangdong Overseas Chinese Expo, which opened on Friday in coastal Shantou.

The agreement is part of plans by the provincial government to build a faster and more convenient transportation network in the region, sources with the Shantou government said.

The Guangdong government has introduced a series of initiatives to boost social and economic development in its northern, eastern and western regions, where are not as developed economically as the province's southern Pearl River Delta.

According to the agreement, the five cities will cooperate in the construction of railways, ports and expressways.