Cars are being assembled at a plant in Dongying, the city at the core of the Yellow River Delta Eco-Economic Zone. By Ju Chuanjiang / China Daily

Two special industrial zones in Shandong province have become major engines for local economic growth since the State Council approved them over a year ago.

"The Shandong Peninsula Marine Economic Zone and the Yellow River Delta Eco-Economic Zone have developed into new powerhouses for Shandong and hot spots for domestic and foreign investors," said Zhang Chaochao, head of the Shandong Development and Reform Commission.

Covering the entire Shandong coast, the marine economic zone encompasses more than 3,000 kilometers of coastline, one-sixth of the nation's total. The zone is designed for marine-industries, such as marine biology, equipment manufacturing, resource exploration, fishing, transportation and modern logistics.

The Yellow River Delta zone features a vast area of undeveloped land, more than 10 times that of the Binhai New Area in Tianjin. It focuses on modern agriculture, petroleum exploitation, equipment manufacturing, textile production and eco-friendly tourism.

Last year, the two zones reported combined revenue of 2.3 trillion yuan, contributing more than half of the province's GDP. Their export volume and actual use of foreign investment both accounted for 70 percent of the province's total, Zhang said.

He added that a combined 2 billion yuan was invested in a total of 285 high-tech and ecofriendly projects launched in the zones last year.

This year, the provincial government seeks more growth in the zones and has pledged to spend 2.8 billion yuan to help local enterprises establish facilities for technological innovation, said Song Junji, a provincial government offi cial responsible for the two zones.

In addition, two fund management companies for the marine industry were established in the provincial capital of Jinan last month, and they are expected to raise nearly 50 billion yuan worth of capital within a few years.

Development of the two zones is proceeding smoothly, offi cials said. Industrial parks have been established, including the Longkou Marine Equipment Manufacturing Park, the Weifang Chemicals Park, the Qingdao Marine Biology Park, the Dongjiakou Marine Industry Park, the Shouguang Vegetable Production Park and the Dongying Petroleum Industry Park .

In 2012, more than 50 large projects in biomedicines, aquatic products, tidal power generation and marine equipment manufacturing will be launched, and these projects will involve an estimated investment of 1.19 trillion yuan.

Song Junji said the zone located at the Yellow River Delta will have a special focus on environmental protection.

"The Yellow River creates more than 1,000 hectares of new land at its estuary every year, making it possible for large-scale development and construction," said Song.

"However, we still believe wetland protection and rational exploration of undeveloped land are the keys to the area's sustainable development," he added.

Song said a wetland restoration and protection project in Dongying, a city at the heart of the delta, has increased its wetland area by 12,000 hectares over the past seven years. The fi gure will continue to increase in the years to come, he said.

By Wang Qian (China Daily Shandong Bureau)

You may contact the author through wangqian@chinadaily.com.cn