Shandong powers ahead economically
China DailyAn Oriental stork flies to its nest on a pole at the Yellow River Delta National Nature Reserve in Dongying, Shandong. The province helped create 13 provincial-level competitive industrial clusters by last year, including clusters dedicated to new energy materials, information technology and marine equipment, by creating complete industrial chains and fostering a comprehensive, rules-based business environment that covers companies, institutes, financial bodies and other service agencies, rather than simply supporting a handful of leading companies. The province's GDP reached 8.31 trillion yuan last year, a year-on-year increase of 8.3 percent. The province saw foreign trade volume surge to 2.93 trillion yuan last year, an increase of 89 percent compared to that a decade ago, according to the local government. The 12th CPC Shandong Provincial Congress emphasized that the province would deepen reform and opening-up to remove institutional obstacles that restrict development, as well as work to create a new highland for opening-up and enhance the vitality of high-quality development.