Qinhuangdao Economic and Technological Development Zone

As the first batch of State-level economic and technological development zones approved by the State Council in 1984 in Hebei province, the Qinhuangdao Economic and Technological Development Zone lies in the center of the booming Bay Coastal Economic Belt, adjacent to Beijing (280 kilometers away) and Tianjin (220 kilometers away), and serving as a bridge between North and Northeast China.

With a permanent resident population of 116,000 and a planning area of 128 square kilometers, the zone has been given numerous titles of honor, including China's creative development zone, one of the development zones with best investment environment, and the most promising development zone. In August 2016, the zone became a comprehensive demonstration pilot park.

In 2017, the GDP of the zone hit 28 billion yuan ($4 billion), with a year-on-year growth of 8 percent, accounting for 18.6 percent of the whole city. The added value of enterprises above a designated scale reached 16 billion yuan, an increase of 8.3 percent and representing 42.5 percent of the whole city. Fixed investments were at 19.63 billion yuan, growing 16.8 percent and accounting for 22.5 percent of Qinhuangdao. The total volume of foreign trade was $3.6 billion, an increase of 13.5 percent, 71.2 percent of the whole city. Taking the leading role of demonstration and radiation effect, the zone has turned into the most dynamic economic growth area in Qinhuangdao.