Shandong province is working to become a hub for the marine economy.

In 2023, the province's gross marine product reached over 1.7 trillion yuan ($238.6 billion), ranking second nationwide, according to Zhao Xiaohui, director of the Department of Natural Resources of Shandong Province.

In recent years, Shandong has been making continuous breakthroughs in marine sci-tech, gathering 50 national-level research platforms and excelling in deep-sea development, intelligent equipment, and biobreeding technologies.

Shandong's main marine industries have also ranked first in the nation for the past four years, with the added value of six major industries, including  fisheries and chemicals, leading the country.

Located in the city of Weifang, Shandong Haihua Group Co Ltd is an important base for the production and export of marine chemicals in China.

Chairman Kong Lingbo stated that the company will continue to increase R&D investment and deepen research in high-end chemicals, new energy, and new materials to accelerate the implementation of industrial projects.

Yantai has been focusing on strengthening the marine engineering equipment industry by expanding marine vessels, fisheries, and new energy equipment.

"Ports, as extremely important facilities, must strive to promote the development of the marine economy," said Huo Gaoyuan, chairman of Shandong Port Group Co Ltd.

Shandong's port cargo throughput surpassed 1.7 billion metric tons in 2023, with container volume exceeding 40 million TEUs, ranking first and second globally, respectively.

Weihai is a major fishing city, producing over 300 types of seafood, with an output of 3.28 million tons in aquatic products in 2023.

"We will promote the transformation of marine aquaculture from shallow to deep sea, from single to diversified, and from traditional to modern. We will also advance the development of high value-added products such as marine pharmaceuticals and marine health products," said Kong Fanping, mayor of Weihai.