The contracts signing ceremony among private companies held in Dongying, Shandong province, on Sept 16.

Entrepreneurs from private companies gathered at Dongying, Shandong province on Sept 16, keen on opportunities offered by two national plans for developing the ecology of the Yellow River Delta region and maritime business in Shandong.

Twenty-five projects contracts were signed, attracting investments of 28.22 billion yuan ($4.41 billion) on sectors of product processing, new energy and agriculture.

China's State Council approved the plans to build a Yellow River Delta High-Efficiency Ecological Zone in November 2009 and a Shandong Peninsula Marine Economic Zone in 2010, for an environment-friendly economic development.

Both of the zones stretch across Dongying, providing the city a great development opportunity and to develop its privately owned economy, in a bid to optimize the city's economic structure.

Dongying now has 13 companies listed among China's top 100 private companies.

By Zhao Ruixue (China Daily Shandong Bureau)

Edited by Chen Zhilin