A growing number of wild birds have taken shelter in the Yellow River Delta National Nature Reserve in Dongying, Shandong province. [Photo/VCG]

The city clusters in the Shandong Peninsula must play a pioneering role in promoting the high-quality and coordinated development of cities in the Yellow River Basin, said local authorities.

Shandong, the only coastal province among the nine provinces in the Yellow River Basin, boasts a strong economy, industrial foundation, and development potential. It connects the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region in the north and the Yangtze River Delta in the south.

"Shandong has the ability to push forward mutual economic development between the eastern and western parts of China, as well as land-sea integrated development. The province is home to many strategic emerging industries and advanced manufacturing industries in the Yellow River basin," said Dong Yanling, dean of the Institute of Regional Economy at Shandong University of Finance and Economics.

According to the Shandong Provincial Development and Reform Commission, Shandong has carried out a general survey of 25 counties and urban districts along the Yellow River and formulated implementation plans to protect the environment and achieve high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin.

The province will promote nearly 100 cooperation items in seven fields and boost connectivity with the other eight provinces in the Yellow River Basin. It also has plans to build 556 major projects, such as the Yellow River Estuary Park and the high-speed railway channel along the Yellow River.