QINGDAO’S commerce bureau said the city will deepen economic and trade cooperation with Japan and South Korea, aiming to achieve a big increase in the trade volume, foreign investment and use of foreign capital by 2015. “Qingdao is one of the earliest Chinese cities to conduct economic and trade cooperation with Japan and South Korea, which also has China’s biggest density of enterprises with investments from these two countries. Deepening economic cooperation will help raise the city’s international profile and influence,” said the bureau. Qingdao is applying to play host meetings between China, Japan and South Korea discussing the building of a free trade zone, with a view to turning Qingdao into a well-known city throughout northeast Asia. In addition, the city will set up a regional economic cooperation experimental zone on its west coast, attracting Japanese and Korean enterprises for innovation projects, such as ocean biology, new ocean material, new ocean energy and ocean transportation. The city will also broaden its exchange and cooperation with the countries in technology, innovating cooperation modes.(Li Hao, Shen Junlin) |