The Jiaodong Economic Circle in Shandong province, which includes the cities of Qingdao, Yantai, Weifang, Weihai and Rizhao, has been pushing forward high-quality development and is on track to become a new engine for China's economic growth.

The five member cities of the Jiaodong Economic Circle held a promotional meeting in Beijing on Dec 8, 2020 to facilitate the integrated development of city clusters on the Jiaodong Peninsula.

The five member cities of the Jiaodong Economic Circle host a promotional meeting in Beijing on Dec 8, 2020. [Photo/guanhai.com.cn]

The Jiaodong Economic Circle is the most dynamic and open area in Shandong, with an area of 52,300 square kilometers, a population of more than 32 million and a GDP of 3 trillion yuan ($433.74 billion) in 2019.

In 2021, the first year of the 14th Five-Year Plan, the area will embrace the "dual circulation" development model and seek to become a new engine for economic growth in northern China.

"The integration of the Jiaodong Economic Circle will require the interconnection of infrastructure and the construction of efficient facilities," said Shao Guangping, a senior researcher at the Shandong Urban and Rural Planning Design Institute.

"The five member cities should build a comprehensive transportation channel that connects both the international and domestic markets."

The comprehensive integration of the Jiaodong Economic Circle will bring new opportunities to enterprises, said Gao Mingzuo, president of Baojia Group, a high-tech enterprise based in Qingdao.