The Oriental Aerospace Port Industry Development Conference kicked off in Haiyang, a county-level city in the coastal city of Yantai, Shandong province on Oct 8, and government officials and industry leaders took part in the event to share their views on the development of Haiyang's aerospace industry.

In recent years, Shandong province has beefed up efforts to promote the development of the aerospace industry, which include the research and development and manufacturing of rockets and satellites, new materials, electronic parts and components, and high-end aerospace equipment, aiming to develop the province into a highland for China's aerospace industry, according to a government official from Shandong.

The government official added that Shandong will continue to provide support for the high-quality development of the aerospace industry, and contribute to increasing the quality and overall performance of China's space industry.

Strategic emerging industries are critical for generating and creating new growth drivers and gaining future competitive advantages. They represent the future path of technological innovation and industrial transformation. In the past years, Yantai has been committed to advancing the development of the aerospace industry, and has attracted and cultivated a number of scientific research institutions, backbone aerospace enterprises, and scientific platforms, which play an active role in supporting Yantai's aerospace industry, according to a top Yantai government official.

The government official added that efforts will be made to accelerate the construction of key projects such as the Haiyang Oriental Aerospace Port, and the satellite internet industrial park in the next five years, in a bid to build the city into a hub for the commercial aerospace industry.

Due to its favorable geographical location, Haiyang Oriental Aerospace Port is the country's only homeport for seaborne rocket launches, and a total of 23 satellites have been successfully launched at the port. Currently, Yantai is pushing forward a number of key projects related to the aerospace industry, and an complete industry cluster is expected to be built in Haiyang.