Relying on its amble marine resources, Qingdao will take the lead in developing a blue economy in the next few years, said local officials.

"With advantages in R&D, innovation and environmental protection, Qingdao will be a leading city for the marine economy in China by 2015," said Li Qun, Party chief of Qingdao.

The city's revenues from marine sectors reached 131.69 billion yuan ($21.57 billion) last year, up 18.2 percent from 2012.

Local authorities have formulated a series of subsidy plans for deep-sea fishing that attracted 19 companies to register in Qingdao.

Focusing on marine equipment, manufacturing and pharmaceuticals, Qingdao's port cargo throughput ranks fourth among coastal ports in China.

The city also accelerated construction of infrastructure and buildings for leisure, resorts and exhibitions.

Li said in the wake of national strategy to build marine power, Qingdao is facing unprecedented opportunities to upgrade its industries and reinvent itself as a global city featuring a vibrant blue economy.

Promising growth

Major driving forces include the Blue Silicon Valley, the West Coast New Zone, and the Hongdao Economic Zone.

Covering a vast swathe stretching from Laoshan in southeast Qingdao to Jimo in the north, Blue Silicon Valley has received a combined investment of 40 billion yuan and has more than 70 projects in the pipeline or under construction.

Another 18 major projects under construction include the National Lab for Oceanic Science and Technology and the National Deep Sea Base.

Deals on more than 10 new technology projects were signed for the area last year, including the Oceanic Industry Technology Research Academy of Tianjin University and the National Oceanic Technology Center Qingdao.

The West Coast New Zone at Jiaozhou Bay now has a core area, two ports and five zones. Its total infrastructure investment has reached 20 billion yuan.

In 2013, the GDP for the zone hit 226.6 billion yuan, an increase of 11.4 percent.

The Hongdao Economic Zone on the north coast of Jiaozhou Bay is building a cluster of soft ware parks and business incubators for high-tech enterprises and R&D centers.

Qingdao also has a series of talent recruitment and cultivation plans including a cloud computing center and a high-end maritime talent database.

The Marine Chemical Research Institute and the Institute of Oceanology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences built a joint innovation center for research on coatings, materials and ecological marine farming.

To ensure sustainable development, Qingdao has made a range of efforts to protect the aquatic environment and restore the marine ecosystem.

"We must endeavor to fulfill our dream about the ocean and develop in an eco-friendly way," Li said. In 2013, the local government incorporated river quality improvement into its performance review, conducting regular examinations at 25 testing points across the city's 22 rivers.

Some 96.3 percent of Qingdao's major pollution sources are now under constant online monitoring.

The city has also designated several areas of sea for species conservation and has special protection areas at Qingdao West Coast National Ocean Park, Daguan Island and Chaolian Island Ocean Reserves.

The government also began an array of actions to restore the ecosystem along Jiaozhou Bay including the coastline and at seaside fisheries as well as reclaiming ocean from illegal development.