Qingdao and Economic trends

Qingdao is a major city in eastern Shandong Province. It is a key Silk Road nodal city on China's Yellow Sea coast that connects Asia with Europe. The city extends across an area of 11,228 km2 and has a population of 10 million. It has jurisdiction over seven districts and three county-level cities

Qingdao is a major seaport and naval base, as well as a commercial and financial center. Qingdao hosts one of the world's busiest seaports. Cooperative relations have been established with 450 ports in 130 countries worldwide. The port of Qingdao is part of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.

Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport, located 39 km away from the city center, is served by 13 domestic and international airlines that operate 94 routes, 12 of which are international and regional.

Qingdao is a city renowned for marine science and technology. It is home to one fifth of China's marine research institutions, one third of the country's high-end marine R&D platforms. It boasts the country's sole center for marine technology transfer with 18 full-time Chinese academicians in the field of marine science.

Marine industries contributed over a quarter of Qingdao's GDP in 2021. The city plans to give full play to its advantages in marine industries by promoting high-quality development and exploring new driving forces.

In 2021, the GDP reached 1.4 trillion yuan, up 8.3% compared to 2020, while the per capita disposable income reached 51,223 yuan.

The total volume of imports and exports in 2021 reached 849 billion yuan, an increase of 32.4% compared to the prior year. Among them, the exports amounted to 492 billion yuan, up 27%. and the total value of imports of 357 billion yuan, up 40.7%, compared to 2020.