During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), Qingdao achieves remarkable development by leveraging its high-energy opening-up platforms. [Photo/Guanhai News]

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), Qingdao has achieved remarkable development by leveraging its high-energy opening-up platforms, such as the China-Shanghai Cooperation Organization Local Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Area (SCODA) and Qingdao Area of the China (Shandong) Pilot Free Trade Zone (Qingdao FTZ).

Through institutional innovation to unleash vitality, open development to pool resources, and industrial breakthroughs to build strength, the city has delivered significant results.

Official data showed that during the period, the SCODA has pioneered 132 reform initiatives, attracting over 150 billion yuan ($21.14 billion) in industrial investment. Its trade with SCO member countries has grown at an average annual rate of 56 percent.

Through institutional innovation to unleash vitality, open development to pool resources, and industrial breakthroughs to build strength, the city delivers significant results. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The Qingdao FTZ has generated 358 institutional innovations, fueling the rise of clusters in integrated circuits, smart home appliances, and life sciences, while the Qingdao West Coast New Area, with a GDP of 526.1 billion yuan in 2024, saw its marine economy exceed 210 billion yuan.

These national-level platforms act as catalysts for Qingdao's high-quality development. Statistics show that 20 of the SCODA's reforms have been promoted at the national level, while 97 of the Qingdao FTZ's innovations have gained national or provincial recognition. This practice clarifies Qingdao's development logic: using national strategy as a top-level guide and institutional innovation as the core engine for high-quality economic growth.

Qingdao Port now operates 230 container routes connecting over 700 ports globally. [Photo/Guanhai News]

Supporting this openness lies in the city's robust logistics network. Qingdao Port now operates 230 container routes connecting over 700 ports globally. The China-Europe Railway Express operates 32 routes to 54 cities in 23 countries. Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport has opened 223 routes connecting the world, and the city leads the nation in TIR cross-border road transport, with shipments surging 97 percent year-on-year in the first three quarters of this year.

This dense network of sea, land, and air routes continuously injects vitality into Qingdao, cementing its role as a pivotal hub in global trade.