Qingdao builds 21st century urban 'twin'

Qingdao is set to boost its population by 33 percent over the next 10 years, following the announcement of an ambitious expansion plan that will see the city build a hi-tech "twin" virtually on its doorstep. The proposed initiative will see, Qingdao, the major seaport in the eastern Shandong province, construct a whole new urban development in the adjoining Jiaozhou Bay area.

Xia Geng, the mayor of Qingdao city and a delegate to the National People's Congress, said: "The current available urban space is too small for further development of the city, so our solution is to develop a new modern city around the Jiaozhou Bay area over the next 10 years."

The city government began to accelerate development of the districts around the Jiaozhou Bay back in August 2008. It is envisaged that it will take 10 further years of construction to establish the area as a vital, international, ecologically-friendly garden-style city.