Zheng Deyan, mayor of Yantai [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The coastal city of Yantai in East China's Shandong province will give priority to high-quality, green, and low-carbon development this year, according to Zheng Deyan, mayor of Yantai.

The COVID-19 prevention and control work has entered a new phase, and Yantai has beefed up efforts to expand domestic demand, and fully restore production and social order back to normal, Zheng said.

He added that this year, Yantai will focus on developing local industries and stabilizing growth. Efforts will also be made to promote the development of a number of key industrial projects such as the chemical refining integration project on Yulong Island, and form nine characteristic and advantageous industrial clusters.

Yantai will also step up efforts to create a first-class business environment to attract entrepreneurs, and it is expected that the city's total industrial output value will double within five years, according to Zheng.

The coastal city of Yantai in East China's Shandong province gives priority to high-quality, green, and low-carbon development. [Photo/VCG]

Yantai set its GDP growth target above 5.5 percent for 2023, and its GDP is expected to exceed 1 trillion yuan ($150 billion) next year, according to the government work report released at the second session of the 18th Yantai Municipal People's Congress, which was held from Dec 28 to Dec 30, 2022.

"Standing at a new historical starting point, Yantai will place greater emphasis on the development of its manufacturing industry, which plays a major driving force for the city to achieve its goal of its GDP reaching the 1 trillion yuan mark this year," said Zheng.

He noted that the city will accelerate the implementation of the innovation-driven development strategy to foster new growth drivers for the manufacturing sector. Efforts will also be made to create a first-class business environment, in which market entitites can enjoy more convenient and high-quality services.

Yantai, a city blessed with rich and diversified marine resources, will push forward the development of the blue economy. The city will take advantage of its regional resources to build Yantai Port into world-class sea port, while the integrated development of port, city, and industries will be accelerated to set up a a first-class and modern marine industrial system. Measures will be taken to strengthen the comprehensive management of the ocean to foster a first-class area for marine ecological protection, Zheng added.