Shandong province has released its 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30), which outlines a blueprint for modernizing and strengthening the province. The name "Qingdao" appears 98 times, highlighting the significant expectations placed on this leading city.

The plan calls for accelerating Qingdao's transformation into a modern international metropolis, enhancing its roles as a marine center, a hub for new quality productive forces, and an international coastal tourist destination, with a goal to push its economy beyond 2 trillion yuan ($290 billion).

During this period, the outline emphasizes the need for Qingdao to strengthen its urban functions as a hub for emerging productive forces, further building on the city's advantages in strategic emerging industries.

Shandong will concentrate resources to develop trillion-yuan-level emerging pillar industries like high-end equipment, information technology services, new energy, and materials while boosting 100-billion-yuan level growth industries such as AI, biomedicine, NEVs, aerospace, and the low-altitude economy.

Qingdao is highlighted in key areas: strengthening its rail transit equipment cluster, co-building two NEV bases (with Jinan as the other), developing a general aviation and satellite communications cluster, and promoting low-altitude manufacturing tailored to local needs to foster economic clustering.

Marine development receives special attention. Qingdao aims to lead in establishing a world-leading marine science center, developing marine AI models, and constructing a second undersea tunnel in Jiaozhou Bay. It will also support the establishment of international marine organizations in the city and expand Qingdao Port as a top Northeast Asian shipping hub.

Throughout the plan, Qingdao is positioned as central to Shandong's industrial upgrade, a cradle of innovation, and a bridgehead for marine development — poised to drive the province's high-quality growth over the next five years.

Qingdao accelerates the development of its international shipping center. [Photo/Guanhai News]