Brief introduction to Qingdao(2)

Integrating advanced architectural techniques, environmental protection concept and humane care, this modern venue has pioneered in establishing Olympic sailing stadium in the core area of a city. It is not only a world-class sailboat race stadium, but also a new city landmark landscape. Main structures are awarded "Luban Award", the top award of Chinese engineering quality. Goran Petersen, Chairman of the International Sailing Federation, said, "Qingdao Olympics stadium is the best Olympic water sport stadium I have ever seen."

In February 2009, the toughest and the most challenging navigation event – Volvo Ocean Race made a stopover in Qingdao for the first time, which is the first stopover port in China in the new ship route of the Race. This not only is the first international race Qingdao Olympic Sailing Center held, but also makes the Center the first to hold international race in all stadiums of Beijing Olympic Games after the Games.

Blue Economy

Shandong Peninsula Blue Economic Zone was included into the national strategy on January 4, 2011, which is the first approved national development strategy at the beginning of the Twelfth Five-year Plan period and the first regional development strategy centering on the marine economy.

The output of the coastline and the marine industry of Qingdao accounts for 1/4 that of the planned area respectively; senior marine professionals and marine research programs at national level they undertake are 1/3 and 1/2 respectively of the country's total; Qingdao has been designated as a pilot city for developing marine economy, which has great potential in marine research and innovation, protection of terrestrial and marine ecological environment, development and utilization of marine resources, and opening of the marine economy as well as other aspects.

Aiming at building a modern marine industrial system, Qingdao will accelerate its scientific innovation in key fields, the planning for the construction of key regions such as the New Economic Zone of Western Coast and the Blue Silicon Valley, and the development of the modern fishery based on aquatic seedling and standard breeding, and will strengthen its marine manufacturing industry based on ocean engineering equipment, apparatus and instrument and marine chemical industry. Moreover, it will focus on developing modern marine service industry featuring modern port logistics and coastal tourism, vigorously foster new strategic industries centering on marine organisms, utilization of new marine energy and protection of marine ecological environment, and try all out to establish a modern marine industrial cluster which ranks atop in the world and take a lead at home.

Science, Education & Health

Boasting its marine science and technology, Qingdao was designated as the first National Technological Innovation Project Pilot City. Qingdao's marine research institutions at or above provincial level, advanced marine scientific researchers, and academicians on marine study account for over 40%, 30%, and 80% of the total across the country respectively. It has 28 oceanological research and education institutions including the Ocean University of China and the Institute of Oceanology of Chinese Academy of Sciences, as well as 20 key laboratories at the ministry and commission level.

The development of Qingdao's education is balanced. Nine-year compulsory education has been generally provided at elementary and secondary schools in urban and rural areas. Qingdao No. 1 International School has been established. There are 1,179 primary and ordinary high schools with 850,000 students; 90 secondary vocational schools with 135,000 students; and 24 universities and colleges (including private universities) with 290,000 students.

The strategy of increasing the city's strength through talents is implemented. There are a total of 27 academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering working in Qingdao. A total of 23 postdoctoral research centers, 26 mobile research centers and 55 expert research centers have been established.

Qingdao is a national pilot city for reforming the urban medical and health system. Currently, Qingdao has completed the standardization of medical centers in communities and towns; both the basic medical insurance and the new cooperative rural medical system have covered all urban and rural residents. Some large comprehensive medical facilities such as the Guoyitang medical center, Women and Children's Hospital, and Central Hospital have been constructed. The number of medical beds totals 40,000, and the number of medical beds per thousand people reaches 5.2. The natural population growth rate of the city is 1.34‰, and the average life expectancy is 80 years.

Residents' Life

Qingdao keeps focusing on improving people's well-being and gives top priority to enriching them. It tries to provide equal public services, preference generalized social insurance, and fair development opportunities. More than 50% of the general budget expenditure of the local government's fiscal revenue has been invested in improving people's livelihood.

Qingdao has implemented proactive employment policies. The urban and rural human resources market and a guidance mechanism for employment and starting businesses have been set up. Registered unemployment rate in rural and urban areas is lower than 3%.

The social security policy and system are improved, and the coverage of social security is expanded. Both the medical insurance and old-age pensions have covered 100% of the urban and rural residents. Qingdao has successively improved the standards on minimum living allowances, minimum wage and pensions for those retired from enterprises.

Qingdao has made great efforts to implement the low-income housing project, given top priority to providing low-income housing for five consecutive years, established a multi-layer urban housing security system based on low-rent housing, rental housing, affordable housing and controlled commercial housing, and extended it to rural areas.

An old-age support system, based on support from households, communities and organizations has been improved, and preferential policies which allow seniors to take buses and receive physical examinations for free have been implemented.

People's living standard is improving. Efforts have been made to give priority to public transportation. There were 227 routes for public buses and trams, 5,419 buses and 9,683 taxies. The construction of central heating is facilitated, and the total heating area was 82.35 million square meters. Through the reinforcement of safety production supervision in key industries and areas, improvement of food and drug safety guarantee system, and strengthening of public safety emergency system and comprehensive management of public security, people are feeling safer and more satisfied.

(Source: State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs)