SHANDONGSPECIAL 12 FRIDAY AUGUST 28, 2009 CHINA DAILY Splashing out: a multi-billion yuan investment is set to make Yantai’s marine-led economy a reality. Out of the red and into the blue: seachange for Yantai By Li Jiaxia Laizhou to develop the salt and logistics, ship and marine Developing salt chemical sectors, as well engineering equipment as the offshore wind energy manufacturing, modern ma- YANTAI: During his inspec- the Shandong industry. rine fishery, marine culture tion tour of Shandong in April peninsula’s blue There are rich coastal wind and tourism, an eco-chemi- of this year, President Hu resources in Laizhou, highly cal industry, port processing Jintao made a commitment to economic zone is a suitable for the development and manufacturing, marine support the area’s development great opportunity of a wind power industry. At bio-industry, marine new en- strategy of “building a ‘blue’ for Yantai. present, the capacity of a num- ergy and mining industries, Shandong Peninsula Economic ber of established wind power a comprehensive seawater Zone.” As a coastal city, with a SUN YONGCHUN projects has reached 200,000 utilization industry, and a se- 900 km-long coastline, Yantai Secretary of the Yantai Party kilowatts, notably among those ries of marine environmental Set to transform the city’s economy: an artist’s impression of the hi-tech development zone. sees fully utilizing its marine committee projects sited in Datang, Hua- protection initiatives. capabilities as crucial to its dian, and Huaneng. The Yantai “blue economy” future development. In addition, Laizhou has 34 has developed rapidly since Acknowledging its im- Yantai has a 900 km coastline different varieties of identifi ed the beginning of the year. In Ambitious hi-tech zone mooted portance, Sun Yongchun, and 26,000 sq km of develop- mineral resources, of which, the fi rst four months, the city’s By Wang Qian will become a modern symbol the zone to attract top global secretary of the Yantai Party able sea area, a fi gure almost there are 1 billion cubic me- marine economy output value of the city. companies from home and committee, said: “Developing twice that of its land area. Its ters of underground brine re- reached 28 billion yuan, an in- abroad as well as at least 10 the Shandong peninsula’s existing resources in ports, serves. The level of exploitable crease of 14 percent over the Plans for the 48.8-sq-km Yan- Development situation national research institutes blue economic zone is a great coastline, islands, biology, reserves is some 660 million same period last year, accord- tai Hi-tech Development Zone Emphasizing on the capa- for high-end manufacturing opportunity for Yantai.” tourism, mining and sea all cubic meters, representing ing to statistics of the Yantai in the east of the city are set to bility of independent innova- and services. It is committed to On August 18, the Guide- combine to give the city great an annual output of 2 million Ocean and Fishery Bureau. be unveiled as the local govern- tion, the zone has its sights establishing 10 leading hi-tech lines for Building the Yantai scope for developing its “blue tons of crude salt. Laizhou is In the fi rst four months of ment continues efforts to make on high-end manufacturing, businesses over fi ve years. Blue Economic Zone were pub- economy”. also an important center for 2009, the shipbuilding and Yantai an “eco-friendly, hi-tech bio-pharmaceuticals, new The population of the zone lished and opened up for public Its 2008 marine economic gold, stone processing and marine machinery manufac- city”. materials, electronic informa- is projected to grow to 110,000 comments. According to the output reached 94.3 billion exports. turing industry production Liu Hongbo, secretary of tion and modern services. It people by 2015 and 250,000 in guidelines, Yantai will acceler- yuan, a year-on-year increase Yantai plans to focus on value came to 3.9 billion yuan, the working committee for the will embrace the software, fi - 2020. ate the pace of its drive toward of 18 percent. The main busi- developing six important an increase of 17 percent year- zone, said the blueprint calls nance, insurance and creative The development plan calls a marine-reliant economy. This ness income of the port indus- sectors over the next fi ve to on-year. for industrial parks dedicated cultural sectors. for Yantai to reach the follow- move comes back of the city’s tries amounted to 349.1 billion ten years, including a coastal There have also been 26 proj- to research, new business The city is already home to ing milestones: abundant marine resources yuan, a 29 percent increase tourism base, a marine science ects in the shipbuilding sector, incubation and technical in- a State-level innovation center, ☛ 2012: Its fi rst-phase inno- and aims to make Yantai one over the previous year. center, an educational and cul- representing a total investment novation to provide advances a Sino-Russian scientifi c and vative technology zone will be of the leading areas for hi-tech According to the Shandong tural quarter, a port logistics of more than 14 billion yuan. in services, manufacturing, technology cooperation center, completed to offer an “innova- marine industries. provincial government’s plan, division, a marine equipment Some 16 of these projects are tourism and culture-related China Agricultural University, tive hi-tech industrial system”. The proposals in the guide- an industrial zone for the ma- manufacturing facility, a cir- already under construction. enterprises. Yantai University and four ☛ 2014: A “charming and lines include the development rine equipment manufacturing cular economic heavy chemi- In the fi rst quarter of the He added that transport to national scientific research dynamic coastal eco-friendly of high-end port industrial ag- industry will be developed in cal industry base and a marine year, the shipbuilding indus- the new zone will be conve- institutions. city” and leading hi-tech zone glomerations, establishing the the Longkou Bay area, focus- bio-industry base. trial output value of the devel- nient as it is only 15 km from The number of scientifi c re- will take form. area as an international travel ing on developing marine en- Also listed as a priority is opment zone’s combined area the city center, 10 km to the search and education institu- ☛ 2015: The output value of and leisure resort and creating gineering equipment, as well Yantai’s focus on promoting amounted to 960 million yuan. Yantai Airport and 15 km from tions form a strong foundation hi-tech industries will reach 8 a showcase for ecologically- as several other related sectors the construction of the west Merely Daewoo Shipbuilding the city’s port. for development in many fi elds, billion yuan, accounting for friendly marine innovations. – including a manufacturing ports of Yantai, Longkou and contributed 658 million yuan Designed to serve as the including marine science, the more than 75 percent of the Yantai has a number of obvi- industry, a port chemical Laizhou. of output value, with an export eastern gateway to the city, environment, new materials total. ous advantages and strengths industry, an energy industry These sites are envisaged value of $19,200. At present, the zone is projected to have and bio-medicine. ☛ 2030: Hi-tech output when it comes to the develop- and a logistics industry. A as forming a contemporary some 35 ancillary enterprises 100 30-story buildings lin- value will reach 40 billion ment of a “blue economy”: new marine energy industry cluster of marine industries, have chose to open operations ing both sides of Science and Prospects yuan, accounting for over 90 Ranked second in the province, cluster will also be set up in including maritime transport in the area. Technology Road, a cluster that The long-term plan calls for percent of the total. High-end cluster Coastal foreign set to transform trade top slot By Li Anna shipping routes to nearby city’s fortunes South Korea, which itself registered trade improve- The port city of Yantai’s foreign ments in the first half of the By Wang Xiantao trade in the fi rst six months of year, further consolidating This strategic 2009 grew to $13.77 billion, its position as Yantai’s No 1 the fastest among the nation’s trade partner. YANTAI: A new “high-end” development 14 coastal cities open to the South Korea has supplanted development initiative was initiative will outside world. the United States as Yantai’s unveiled in Yantai late last More than half of the to- top export market as well as its week. The scheme will see establish an tal, some $7.85 billion, was biggest source of imports. the Shandong-based coastal advanced industrial exports, according to Yantai According to statistics from city catapulted to the frontline cluster prior to Bureau of Foreign Trade Yantai Customs, trade with of the country’s industrial and Economic Cooperation South Korea totaled $3.61 bil- centers. 2012. By 2015 it will LG production facilities in Yantai: 30 million mobile phone handsets on produce on-site annually. (BOFTEC). lion in the fi rst half of the year, Commenting on the scope have developed its Yantai’s share of Shandong’s accounting for 26.3 percent of of the plan, Zhang Jiangting, Foreign Trade and Economic In line with the initiative, the of last year, the FIP consists of imports and exports also rose the port city’s combined im- mayor of Yantai, said: “This own independent Cooperation Bureau, said: modern services sector – involv- a cluster of computers, game for consecutive months from ports and exports.