Qingdao Today
Qingdao recently clarified the direction of economic growth for 2025 and called for sustained efforts in ten aspects to make headway in high-quality development.
Firstly, sustained efforts will be made to expand China’s domestic demand. Qingdao will work to boost consumption and increase investment returns, broaden the coverage of large-scale equipment renewal and trade-in of old consumer goods, and implementation of major national strategies and security capacity building, unremittingly advance the construction of an international consumption central city, engage more social capital in the construction of major projects and continue its efforts to stimulate high-quality development.
Secondly, sustained efforts will be made to spur the development of new productive forces with sci-tech innovation. Qingdao will work hard to become a better source of sci-tech innovation, take solid steps to advance the construction of such major innovation platforms as the Laoshan Lab, launch a special campaign to facilitate the commercialization of scientific and technological achievements, carry out an initiative to make small and medium-sized enterprises more innovative, put in place an mechanism for a steady increase in the special fund for science and technology, devise and build a corridor for sci-tech innovation, and advance the integration of sci-tech innovation and industrial innovation.
Thirdly, sustained efforts will be made to establish an innovation-driven industrial system. With a focus on “10+1” key sectors, Qingdao will prioritize the development of such leading sectors as new-generation information technology and artificial intelligence, strive for breakthroughs in emerging industries including heath, green energy, intelligent internet connected NEVs, low-altitude economy and intelligent manufacturing equipment, consolidate the leading edge of such competitive sectors as intelligent household appliances, high-end chemical engineering and new materials, and modern light industry, develop with foresight a number of future-oriented sectors, reinforce project attraction and construction, give better play to the supporting role of factors, put in place a sound project life-cycle management mechanism and work hard to emerge as an advanced manufacturing base in northern China.
Fourthly, sustained efforts will be made to upgrade the modern service sector. Qingdao will boost productive services, advance the in-depth integration of manufacturing and services, give more prominence to cultural tourism, enrich the supply of featured tourism products such as marine tourism and inbound tourism, and strive to construction a new high-quality and efficient system in the service sector.
Fifthly, sustained efforts will be made to pioneer the development of modern marine economy. Taking advantage of marine sci-tech innovation, Qingdao will strengthen the “4+4+2” modern marine industrial system, move faster to build itself into an international shipping enter, facilitate the transition of Qingdao Port towards a finance- and service-oriented port, and make an all-out effort to implement the national marine strategy.
Sixthly, sustained efforts will be made to deepen reform and opening-up in all respects. Qingdao will give free rein to the leading role of the reform of the economic system, carry on reforms in such key sectors as state-owned assets and enterprises, private economy, business environment, taxation and finance, and allocation of factors, further promote institutional opening-up, and work hard to stabilize foreign trade and foreign investment to inject remarkable impetus for high-quality development.
Seventhly, sustained efforts will be made to promote coordinated development between urban and rural areas, Qingdao will take a holistic approach to advance new-type urbanization and rural revitalization in all respects, improve urban functions, build a pilot area for rural revitalization in Shandong Province, build a better metropolitan circle and expand the potential for high-quality development.
Eighthly, sustained efforts will be made to promote green transition across the board. Qingdao will work harder to pilot the national program for carbon peaking, fulfill the key tasks involved in the construction of a pilot zone for green and low-carbon high-quality development, make further efforts to keep its skies blue, waters clear, and lands clean, foster a more favorable ecosystem and launch the Beautiful Qingdao initiative.
Ninthly, sustained efforts will be made to improve people’s livelihoods. Qingdao will put people first in development, make solid headway in delivering tangible benefits in terms of education, health care, elderly care and child care, and improve public services to make the masses have a greater sense of happiness and safety.
Tenthly, sustained efforts will be made to coordinate development and security. Qingdao will adopt a worst-case scenario mentality, effectively guard against and defuse risks in key sectors, take solid steps to see that, at the primary level, basic living needs are met, salaries are paid, and governments function smoothly, and ensure that no systemic risks arise. (Xue Huafei)