On the afternoon of May 14, the conference to launch the China-Japan Local Development Cooperation Demonstration Area (the Demonstration Area) was held by National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

It is learnt that the NDRC has recently approved the establishment of China-Japan (Qingdao) Local Development Cooperation Demonstration Area , a step to support the development of sub-national cooperation between China and Japan. Tianjin, Dalian, Shanghai, Suzhou and Chengdu have also obtained similar approvals.

The Demonstration Area is located in Qingdao International Economic Cooperation Zone. With a total area of 10.6 km2, it mainly focuses on cooperation in technology innovation, product R&D and high-end manufacturing of the energy saving and environmental protection industry. New cooperation mechanism will be put in place to promote cluster development of the industry and set an example for the new model of green and low-carbon development.

The Demonstration Area has invited NRI, Mitsubishi Jisho Sekkei, and Qingdao Urban Planning and Design Research Institute to formulate a high-level development plan. It envisions to develop a future-oriented international park of sustainability featuring ecological conservation, production and life, and fusion of Chinese and Japanese culture, where man and nature coexist in harmony. It is also expected to be a people-centered park with great vitality and integrated industrial and city development. Five functional zones will be developed with respective focus on production and manufacturing, research and offices, business and commerce, life and residence, and infrastructure.  

In the future, the Demonstration Area will deem protecting the shared home of mankind as its abiding mission with efforts to save energy and protect the environment at its core. It will prioritize four pillar sectors including material science, energy technology, bioengineering, and information communication and also drives the development of modern services, so as to create a modernized park with distinct Japanese features and focusing on low-carbon development and environment protection as well as integrated industrial-city development. 

According to the overall goal of getting started in one year, taking shape in three years and growing full-fledged in five years, it is expected that China-Japan (Qingdao) Local Development Cooperation Demonstration Area will have its infrastructure mostly in place by 2025. By then, over 200 companies will have entered the area which will generate total industrial output of over 35 billion yuan. The GDP of the area will reach 10 billion and the area will support 35,000 jobs.