Qingdao Port opens sea-routes to 65 countries along the "Maritime Silk Road". [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Shandong is an important province in economy, culture and population on the east coast of China and a significant strategic fulcrum for the countries and regions along the New Eurasian Continental Bridge Economic Corridor and the Maritime Silk Road. As of February 2018, the import and export volume of Shandong and the countries along the Belt and Road (B&R) reached 481.63 billion yuan ($75.7 billion), accounting for 27 percent of the province’s entire volume. Shandong’s B&R exports were 267.25 billion yuan, 26.8 percent of the province. The actual investment in countries along the B&R totaled 10.06 billion yuan, 26.7 percent of the province-wide figure. The turnover of foreign contracted projects in countries along the B&R amounted to 47.34 billion yuan, 59.6 percent of that of the province as a whole.

Shandong increases import and export volume with countries along the Belt and Road. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]