Qingdao International Economic Cooperation Zone is located in the West Coast New Area, Qingdao City, Shandong Province in Northeast China. The Zone, with a planned area of 11.6 square kilometers and part of the State Council-approved Shandong Pilot Free Trade Zone, believes in better life through eco-friendly and intelligent development and higher-quality development through opening up and integration, pursues green and sustainable development and strives to build an eco-friendly, intelligent and open community of shared interests, so as to create an idyllic environment and wonderful life for all enterprises and residents.
This Zone has grown into an important economic engine for Qingdao West Coast New Area, a major featured functional zone in Qingdao, a prominent international cooperation zone in Shandong, and a forerunner in the opening-up of China.
Qingdao is a city in eastern Shandong Province on the east coast of China. It is a city specifically designated in the state plan, a megacity, a sub-provincial city, the economic center of Shandong Province, a coastal important central city of China, a coastal city for resort and tourism, an international port city, an important pilot zone for development of modern marine industry of China, an international shipping hub of Northeast Asia, a marine sports base, a main hub in the economic corridor of New Eurasian Land Bridge of “the Belt and Road” and a pivot of marine cooperation strategy.
Qingdao is located on the southeast coast of Shandong Peninsula, in the frontal zone of China-Japan-South Korea free trade area. It has a total area of 11,282 km2, administering 7 districts and managing 3 county-level cities. In 2018, its total number of permanent residents was 92 040 000 and its total regional GDP was RMB 1,20000,000,000 Yuan.
Qingdao is the host city of sailing races of 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and of the 13th Paralympic Games, known as the Sailing City of China, the Best Sailing City of Asia, the World Beer City, the “Cinema City” of the United Nations, one of the first coastal open-up cities of China.
Qingdao is an international marine scientific research and education center where reside 26 universities such as Shandong University (Qingdao Campus), Ocean University of China, China University of Petroleum. Another 29 universities such as Tsinghua University and Peking University have been introduced into Qingdao. There are diversified exotic-style architectures in Qingdao, so it is called “the Universal Exposition of Architectures”. The architectural complex in Eight Great Passes was awarded the title of “the Most Beautiful Urban Area of China”.
Qingdao West Coast New Area, established in June 2014, is a national-level strategy and home to a number of major industrial chains, each with at least 100 billion yuan in annual industrial output.
Qingdao West Coast New Area covers a land area of some 2,128 square kilometers, a sea area of 5,000 square kilometers, with a coastline of 282 kilometers. In 2014, the State Council approved the establishment of the New Area. In 2018, its regional gross production reached 351.7 billion yuan; general public budget revenues 26.27 billion yuan, of which tax revenues accounted for 83%; comprehensive strength ranking 3rd among national new areas.
The construction of Qingdao International Economic Cooperation Zone located in the Qingdao Area of China (Shandong) Pilot Free Trade Zone officially started in 2013.
As a new international cooperation zone, this Zone has, over a short time span, grown into an important economic engine for Qingdao West Coast New Area, a major featured functional zone in Qingdao, a prominent international cooperation zone in Shandong, and a forerunner in the opening-up of China.
The start-up area of the Zone, which covers 34.92 km2, consists of Sino-German Ecopark, Sino-British Innovation Park, Sino-Russian Local Cooperation Park, China-Japan-ROK Innovation Park, etc. MOUs on comprehensive cooperation have been signed with 16 states and cities in 6 countries, namely, Germany, UK, Russia, Finland, ROK, and Poland.
Over the 6 years since the construction started, fixed-asset investment of the Zone has totaled 44 billion yuan; utilized foreign investment has reached 619 million US dollars; paid-in domestic investment has totaled 8.8 billion yuan; and tax revenue has reached 1 billion yuan. There are 500-plus companies settled in the Zone including 6 Fortune 500 companies and over 20 hidden champions. Four industrial systems of intelligent manufacturing, life and health, new energy and new materials, and high-end equipment manufacturing have taken shape.
The Zone has won a raft of honors such as the UN Sustainable City and Human Settlements Award and China Human Settlements and Environment Award. It has been approved by the Standardization Administration of China to build the first National Comprehensive Standardization Demonstration Zone in China. It is a Pilot Zone for the National Smart City Initiative approved by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, a National Green Manufacturing International Innovation Park approved by the Ministry of Science and Technology, and a National New Energy Demonstration Park approved by National Energy Administration. It has also been selected as the first pilot zones of low carbon city, smart city, and green ecological demonstration area; one of the first new energy demonstration zones; one of the first intelligent manufacturing demonstration zones, etc.
New era, new start, and new initiatives. Qingdao International Economic Cooperation Zone, entering into a new stage of development, will focus on building a world-class and globally recognized ecological zone. It will strive to offer the best ecological environment and implement low-carbon, green, and sustainable development strategy to realize world-leading ecologicalization. It will stay committed to green development by developing green buildings and green industries to achieve a high level of industrialization by cultivating an industrial system that serves as a pacesetter. It will strive for a living environment where man and nature harmoniously coexist and a working environment where people and industry forge a close interaction, so as to make the Zone a fifth generation park featuring green and smart life & open and integrated development.
