Shandong charts new course for growth of county economies

Shandong held a high-profile work conference in Jinan, the provincial capital, focusing on the high-quality development of its county economies on April 27, together with a matchmaking assistance program in which stronger counties support weaker ones. The meeting outlined key tasks for the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026–30). 

Shandong's county economies have built a solid foundation. In 2025, the 136 counties and districts of the province generated a combined GDP of 8.88 trillion yuan ($1.29 trillion). The number of counties and districts surpassing the 100 billion yuan GDP mark has risen from 28 in 2025 to 33 in 2026.

Instead of following a one-size-fits-all approach, the conference stressed that counties are supposed to identify their unique advantages and develop distinctive industries accordingly.

For example, Huimin county in Binzhou transformed its centuries-old rope and net weaving tradition into an industrial cluster driven by technology and digitalization, generating 30 billion yuan a year. Tengzhou built a complete ecosystem for small and medium-sized machine tools, with 400 companies and a local procurement rate of 80 percent. Shouguang moved beyond simple greenhouse vegetable production to establish itself as the largest vegetable seedling base in China, developing 305 proprietary varieties.

The rope and net weaving industry in Huimin county, Binzhou, Shandong province, is now an economic engine of the county. [Photo/Dazhong News]

Additionally, Shandong has tried to break administrative barriers to promote resource sharing and industrial coordination between counties, including pairing stronger counties with weaker ones. Meanwhile, improving education, healthcare and living conditions help attract talent and retain skilled workers, boosting balanced growth.

The province is also deepening infrastructure investment to ensure smooth logistics and market connectivity. Announced major projects in transportation, energy, and water conservancy entail roughly 2.8 trillion yuan in investment over the next five years.

Editor：韩蒙蒙