Zhangqiu sees headway in economic recovery

Zhangqiu district of Jinan, the capital of East China's Shandong province, has taken concrete measures to stabilize growth, employment, and prices and prioritized innovation, reform, and opening-up to promote its high-quality development, local media reported.

With the measure's effectiveness, the district has made headway in economic recovery and transformation, according to a press conference held by the city's government in Jinan on July 5.

In 2022, the Zhangqiu district achieved a GDP of 112.07 billion yuan ($15.5 billion), with industrial output value exceeding 106.81 billion yuan and fixed asset investment reaching 52.97 billion yuan.

The district was honored with titles such as an advanced county for significant projects on transforming the old growth drivers to new ones, a top-10 county for industry, a top-10 county for technological innovation, and an advanced county (district) for the high-quality development of the private economy.

In the first quarter of this year, the district's GDP reached 24.15 billion yuan, representing a 4.5 percent year-on-year growth and a positive development trend.

Zhangqiu is well-positioned to accelerate the construction of a "strong, new, excellent, beautiful, and high-quality" socialist modernization epicenter, officials said. The district boasts a strong foundation in industrial and agricultural sectors, a pristine ecological environment, and abundant tourism resources.

To further enhance development, Zhangqiu district aims to build itself into a scientific innovation city. It is committed to innovation-driven development and will promote structural adjustment and industrial transformation and upgrading.

Currently, the proportion of high-tech industry output has reached 75.5 percent of its total industrial output. The district plans to accelerate the establishment of innovative incubators and co-working spaces, as well as constructing high-level platforms for innovation and entrepreneurship. Zhangqiu district aims to have over 500 high-tech enterprises by 2025 and to sustain a high-tech industry output that accounts for over 80 percent of the total industrial output value.