The Shandong peninsula city cluster will see more development opportunities as the Shandong Provincial People's Government has launched a development plan (2021-35) for the province's coordinated regional development.

The Shandong peninsula city cluster is expected to play a stronger role in leading and stimulating the construction of a strong socialist modern province in the new era. 

The Shandong peninsula city cluster will enter a new stage of development, adhere to a new development philosophy and serve and integrate itself into the new development paradigm. It will be built into an important economic growth pole in China, a pioneer area for ecological civilization construction in the Yellow River basin, a new benchmark for cultural innovation, and a model for improving people's livelihoods and achieving common prosperity.

According to the development plan, by 2025, the Shandong peninsula city cluster will make new progress and have a new outlook, make further strides through innovation and self-improvement, increase investment in R&D by an average annual rate of around 9.3 percent, and nurture a number of industrial clusters, leading enterprises and well-known brands with global influence.

The urbanization rate of permanent residents should reach about 68 percent by 2025, and the city cluster should make new breakthroughs in green and low-carbon development, keep coal consumption at around 350 million tons, and significantly reduce total emissions of major pollutants.

By 2035, Jinan and Qingdao should have joined the ranks of modern international cities, the new urbanization development model should be more mature and established, and more substantial progress should be made in achieving common prosperity. The Shandong peninsula city cluster should also have joined the ranks of world-class city clusters.