To boost high-quality growth, Shandong province will strive to develop new quality productive forces tailored to local conditions and advance reforms in key fields, fulfilling its role as a major contributor to the country’s development, said Lin Wu, secretary of the Communist Party of China Shandong Provincial Committee.

In the new year, Shandong will take key steps to boost consumption, enhance investment efficiency, promote technological and industrial innovation, advance regional coordination, urban-rural integration, and land-sea synergy, improve people’s livelihoods, address risks and external challenges, optimize the business environment, stabilize expectations, and stimulate vitality, Lin said.

Efforts will also be made to promote new type of urbanization and rural vitalization, as well as foster the growth of private enterprises, he added.

In 2024, Shandong province in East China has made significant strides toward achieving high-quality economic and social development, with its major economic indicators outpacing the national average growth rate.

The development of new quality productive forces has been steady, with the digital economy expected to account for over 49 percent of the total of the gross regional product, and the number of high-tech enterprises surpassing 35,000.

Foreign trade has grown by 3.5 percent year-on-year, and coastal ports have handled over 2 billion metric tons of cargo.

Lin said that Shandong will focus on expanding emerging industries and fostering future industries while transforming and upgrading traditional industries.

"We will develop groundbreaking projects within emblematic industry chains and drive the growth and enhancement of industries such as next-generation information technology, high-end equipment, and modern medicine. We will systematically conduct pilot demonstrations in areas like low-altitude economy and unmanned driving, as well as nurture more emerging pillar industries,” he said.

“By implementing future industry cultivation plans, we will lay out strategies in fields such as biomanufacturing, embodied artificial intelligence, future networks, and quantum technology, as well as construct a series of high-standard future industry pilot zones."

Lin highlighted Shandong's commitment to accelerating the construction of a strong agricultural province, enhancing agricultural efficiency and rural vitality, increasing farmers' incomes, ensuring food security, and bolstering rural industries.

Efforts will be consolidated to promote green transformation in industrial structure, energy structure, transportation, and urban-rural development, he said.

Emphasizing Shandong's strength in the marine economy, Lin outlined plans to chart a distinctive path for marine development. Initiatives include deepening the integrated development of coastal ports, upgrading port facilities, enhancing modern port and shipping systems, and nurturing high-end maritime services such as shipping finance, he added.