The province of Shandong in East China has been ramping up efforts to develop a strong marine economy with world-class ports, a modern marine industrial system, and a green and sustainable marine environment, according to local authorities.

Shandong's coastline stretches 3,024.4 kilometers, accounting for about one-sixth of the country's total coastline. There are more than 20 natural harbors along the coastline and 296 inshore islands, and coastal tidal flats cover an area of about 3,000 square kilometers, making Shandong an ideal place for the development of a port economy.

Qingdao Port in Shandong [Photo/iqilu.com]

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), Shandong aims to build an international shipping hub centered on Qingdao Port, improve its port collection and distribution system, and accelerate the integrated development of ports, industry, and city.

Shandong Port Group, launched in 2019, has unified the major ports in the province, including Qingdao Port, Yantai Port, Rizhao Port, and the Bohai Bay Port Group, to improve port facilities and services.

In the first quarter of this year, Shandong Port Group processed 371 million tons of cargo, up 9 percent year-on-year; and its container throughput hit 7.93 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), an increase of 11 percent, the group's best performance first-quarter performance.

Changdao Island in Yantai, Shandong province [Photo/iqilu.com]

During the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-20), Shandong built 105 marine ranching demonstration areas at or above provincial-level, among which 44 are at the national-level, accounting for 40 percent of the country's total marine ranching demonstration areas.

By the end of 2020, Shandong had built 79,000 hectares of marine ranches, with an annual comprehensive economic income of more than 250 billion yuan ($38.93 billion).

It is also strengthening efforts to build marine industrial clusters, including a shipbuilding industry in Qingdao, ocean engineering in Yantai, power equipment in Weifang, and offshore oil and gas equipment.