A Study on Qingdao’s Marine Economy: Focused on the Industrial Competitiveness*

Abstract

The 21st century is the Century of the Ocean. As a resourceful trove for human society’s sustainable development, the ocean has been playing an important role for many coastal countries and regions on marine economic development. Nowadays, an increasing number of coastal countries and regions have been paying more attention to the development and utilization of marine resources and space, and marine high-tech industries in order to earn more shares in the international competition for marine resources and development. Recently, Marine economy has been playing a more important role in regional economic growth and social culture’s integrative development. Since the proposal of the 12th five-year plan from the state council, which adheres to the coordinated development of both land and sea, the outline of China’s marine economic development has been boosted vigorously in Qingdao after the approval of Shandong Peninsula Blue Economy Zone Development Plan. Based on the superiority industry theory and China’s marine economic researches, this paper makes comprehensive use of literature analysis, qualitative and quantitative analysis to discuss the current situation and characteristics of Qingdao’s marine economy and the tendencies of its marine industrial development. It then summarizes the role of the competitive industries in the development of Qingdao’s marine economic development. Lastly, this paper gives some constructive advice based on the policy-making perspectives from three dimensions which are the primary industry, the secondary industry and the tertiary industry.