Weifang, a coastal city on the Shandong Peninsula in China, spans 15,700 square kilometers of land and 1,289 square kilometers of sea, featuring a coastline of 158 kilometers. This city, with its 9.418 million residents, is globally recognized as the World Kite Capital, International Power City, International City of Peace, and Culture City of East Asia. https://anyflip.com/qtvv/hfvj/
A perusal of its historical records unveils a long and profound cultural tradition. With its civilization initiated more than 6,000 years and its city established more than 2,000 years , Weifang is known as the cradle of Dongyi Culture, a significant component of Chinese civilization, Weifang has been the home of more than 150 historical figures, including Cangjie, the inventor of Chinese writing, the wise Emperor Yushun, and the renowned poet Su Shi. The Nobel Laureate in Literature Mo Yan was also born here. This deep cultural lineage has shaped the Weifang people, known for their integrity, diligence, and pragmatism.
An examination of its territory displays its geographical advantages and convenient transportation. Centrally located on the Shandong Peninsula, bordered by the Yimeng Mountain Area to the west and the Bohai Sea to the east, it is a vital transportation hub. The city is traversed by 9 expressways and 5 high-speed railways, boasts a first-class national port, and an airport with direct connections to 18 cities. The upcoming Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway will further enhance connectivity, reducing travel times to major cities like Beijing and Shanghai to just 1.5 and 2.5 hours, respectively. The superior location and accessible traffic add to Weifang’s regional advantages in resource free flow and concentration.
A scrutiny of its opening-up endeavors highlights its openness and inclusiveness.Highlighted by its role in the ancient Maritime Silk Road and as one of China’s early cities to welcome international trade. Hosting international kite festivals for 40 years, it has developed economic and trade relations with 216 countries and regions, ranking the 31st for comprehensive competitiveness in foreign trade in 2022. Its practices of pursuing reform and opening up have shaped the all-embracing and pioneering spirits of the Weifang people.
A review of its development achievements reveals its solid foundation and remarkable strength. The city’s economic prowess is notable, ranking 4th in Shandong and 35th among China’s large and medium-sized cities, with a GDP of 730.65 billion yuan (approximately $101.5 billion) in 2022. As the twelfth prefecture-level city with deposits and loan balances surpassing one trillion yuan (around $139 billion), its third position in Shandong is secured. It perches on the second spot in the top-ten list of industrial strength in Shandong province for its notable accomplishments in stabilizing industrial growth and transformation and upgrading. It is acclaimed as the largest city in Shandong in terms of agriculture and one of the four Chinese cities that produce over 10 million tons of vegetables and one million tons of meat annually. President Xi Jinping confirmed twice the “Zhucheng Model, Weifang Model and Shouguang Model” for rural revitalization. Its notable strengths in all industrial sectors have granted Weifang people the confidence to strive for the best and pursue leapfrog progress.
Malaysia and Weifang enjoy a long history of extensive cooperation on economy, trade, and cultural exchanges. In April 2005, former Malaysian Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir Mohamad led a delegation including then-president of the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia, Tan Sri William Cheng , ex-chairman of the Malaysia-China Business Council, Tan Sri Lee Kim Yew, vice president of the ACCCIM, Tan Sri TER LEONG YAP, and a group of corporate executives to visit Weifang. They participated in the 22nd Weifang International Kite Festival, Malaysian Culture Week, the China-Foreign Mayors’ Forum, and the China Shouguang International Vegetable Science and Technology Expo. Dr. Mahathir delivered a keynote speech at the Mayors’ Forum. During their stay in Weifang, Han Yuqun, then Deputy Secretary of the CPC Shandong Provincial Committee and Governor, had comprehensive and in-depth discussions with Dr. Mahathir and his delegation about exchanges and cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, tourism, education, and culture between Malaysia and Weifang, laying a solid foundation for bilateral cooperation and exchange and leading to the increasing trade investment and collaborative exchanges in various fields. In 2005, Weifang SimeDarby Port Co., Ltd. was established in Weifang, building a port terminal with a total shoreline of 4,122 meters and 23 production berths. It established shipping routes with coastal regions, Yangtze River, and some inland ports in more than ten provinces and cities in China, opening international routes to Malaysia, Russia, Japan, South Korea, and Australia, becoming a national first-class open port and a significant regional port. In 2012, the Malaysian National Pavilion from the Shanghai World Expo was relocated to Weifang, further promoting and deepening friendship between Malaysia and China. In October 2021, the International Lubricant China headquarters of PETRONAS, Malaysia’s national oil company, settled in Weifang, contributing positively to the high-quality economic development of both places. Subsequently, a large number of well-known entrepreneurs, including the chairman of the Malaysian Farlim Group and President of the China-ASEAN Business Association, Tan Sri Lim Gait Tong, and the chairman of the IOI Group, Tan Sri Lee Shin Cheng, visited Weifang and Qingzhou (a county-level city of Weifang) to continuously promote efficient development and in-depth exchanges between us in industry, capital, economy, trade, and technology.
In 2022, Malaysia became Weifang’s largest trading partner among the RCEP member countries, with a total import and export value of 267.7 billion yuan. This included 7.87 billion yuan in exports and 19.13 billion yuan in imports. From January to October 2023, the total trade volume between Malaysia and Weifang amounted to 42.49 billion yuan, comprising 6.42 billion yuan in exports and 36.07 billion yuan in imports. The primary exports from Weifang to Malaysia included machinery, electrical appliances, steel, chemicals, textiles, and building materials, while the main imports from Malaysia consisted of energy, electromechanical products, rubber, minerals, and palm oil.
For the time being, we are making intensive efforts to build a better Weifang featuring great strength, premium quality and beautiful lives for all by breaking new ground and accumulating growth drivers through reform and opening up, promising vast spaces for in-depth collaboration, enormous potential for industrial integration and bright prospects for mutual benefits and win-win outcomes.
Boasting robust industries, Weifang eagerly anticipates collaborating closely with partners to reach new pinnacles in industrial development. Distinguished as one of the few Chinese cities that simultaneously foster agriculture and industry, Weifang’s industrial sector is remarkably solid. It accommodates 37 major industrial categories out of China’s 41, encompassing 31 manufacturing sectors. These sectors collectively contribute to one-tenth of Shandong’s and one-hundredth of China’s output. Notably, industries such as power equipment, high-end chemicals, next-generation information technology, and food processing each exceed an industrial volume of 100 billion yuan (approximately $13.9 billion). In agriculture, Weifang’s achievements are equally impressive, with the rural sector’s total output exceeding 120 billion yuan (about $16.7 billion). This has earned Weifang the status of the sole national comprehensive pilot zone for agricultural development and opening up. Currently, Weifang is intensifying its focus on ushering in a new era of industrialization. This involves accelerating the advancement and modernization of traditional industries, propelling the rapid growth of new industries, enhancing the capabilities of key industrial chains, and doubling the quantity and quality of leading enterprises. These efforts are aimed at crafting modern industrial systems. We invite you to invest in Weifang’s promising industries and join us in forging a prosperous future.
With education and science serving as pivotal growth drivers, Weifang is keen to collaborate in harnessing new opportunities presented by its scientific and educational resources. As a national innovative city and an “Innovation China” pilot city, Weifang has been awarded the national scientific and technological progress prize four times. It hosts 814 provincial-level platforms, including the National Center of Technology Innovation for Fuel Cells, and boasts 2.26 million skilled professionals. Moreover, Weifang is a leader invocational education innovation and development, with 388,000 students enrolled in 5 universities and 65 vocational colleges, consistently ranking first in Shandong for the quality of its regular senior secondary education over the past 20 years. Weifang is now focused on implementing strategies that leverage science and education to energize the city,strengthen it with capable individuals, and drive development through innovation. Initiatives like doubling the number of high-tech companies, attracting leading talents, and encouraging talent retention, aim to foster a deeper integration of innovation, industrial, financial, and talent chains, thus accelerating the formation of new productive forces. We welcome you to Weifang to experience its dynamic vibrancy and pursue shared development.
With its thriving business landscape, Weifang invites you to explore new markets brimming with potential. A population nearing 10 million and over 4,000 large-scale industrial enterprises create a strong demand in various sectors, including consumption, medical care, cultural tourism, and high-end services like legal, accounting, auditing, and consulting. Weifang is currently prioritizing the expansion of domestic demand by enhancing consumption, optimizing investment efficiency, transforming foreign trade, and vigorously developing new business models like the first-launch economy, nighttime economy, and brand economy. This is part of our broader goal to swiftly establish a regional consumption center. Join us in Weifang to capitalize on these market opportunities and prosper in our expansive market space.
Weifang also offers an advantageous environment for entrepreneurs, both local and international. We regard optimizing the business environment as our foremost reform initiative. This includes mechanisms for assigning officials to assist enterprises, comprehensive enterprise visitation campaigns, and positioning business owners at the forefront of our focus. As a result, Weifang ranks as the top city in Shandong province for its business environment. We are now aligning with the highest international standards and striving to be the best in the nation, committed to providing superior and more considerate services to companies. Our aim is to elevate our business environment to world-class levels. We warmly invite you to join us in Weifang to collaborate towards a mutually beneficial future.
Embracing the adage that “nothing, not even mountains and seas, can separate people with common goals and ideals,” Weifang extends an invitation to friends worldwide at the onset of the Chinese New Year. Regardless of your origin, if you share our dreams, we cordially invite you to visit, invest, and start businesses in Weifang. Together, let’s open new horizons for cooperation and herald a win-win future through development.
