Shandong will work hard to optimize its desirability as a location for doing business, in order to ensure foreign trade enjoys steady growth this year, a senior official said.

In a report delivered to the fourth session of the province’s 11th people’s congress, which is scheduled to conclude on February 17, Shandong’s governor Jiang Daming stated that foreign trade in the province is expected to enjoy an increase of 10 percent this year .

Total foreign trade amounted to $699.6 billion under the 11th Five-Year Plan (2006-2010), according to the Shandong Bureau of Commerce.

To date, Shandong has built trade relationships with over 190 countries and regions including Japan, South Korea and the United States.

Jiang said that this year Shandong will continue to encourage local enterprises to develop their own brands.

Indeed, the past five years have seen 147 Shandong-based enterprises establishing world-famous brands.

The province’s software industry is attracting more attention abroad thanks to a number of outsourcing demonstration bases and IT talent training bases. These bases have attracted 600 enterprises engaged in outsourcing industries to settle in Shandong.

The economic development zones will be upgraded to accommodate more international business facilities this year.

To date around 70 percent of the export-oriented enterprises are located in industrial parks across the province.

Shandong is now home to seven State-level economic development zones, including high-tech parks, export processing parks and bonded areas where taxes on imports are waived.

By Zhao Ruixue (China Daily Shandong Bureau)