This Action Plan is formulated to fully implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, further stimulate the vitality and momentum of county-level development, deepen the transition from old to new growth drivers, and promote green, low-carbon, and high-quality development of the county-level economy.

I. Main Objectives

Guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and with high-quality development as the central theme, we aim to achieve the following within three years: promote the advancement of strong counties and the catch-up of weaker counties; significantly enhance the total economic output, industrial level, and fiscal strength of the province’s county-level economies; achieve major breakthroughs in key reforms; continuously narrow the development gap between urban and rural areas and across regions; sustainably improve ecological and environmental quality; and significantly enhance overall competitiveness.By 2025, the number of counties (cities, districts) with a regional gross domestic product (GDP) of over 100 billion yuan will reach 30, and those with over 70 billion yuan will reach 50. General public budget revenue at the county level will steadily increase, with a breakthrough in the number of counties (cities, districts) exceeding 10 billion yuan, and government debt risks will remain generally under control.

II. Key Tasks

(1) Implement the Leading Economic Counties Initiative. Leverage the leading role of the five “100-billion-yuan” counties (cities)—Jiaozhou, Longkou, Rongcheng, Zoucheng, and Shouguang—to support a group of counties (cities) with solid foundations and great potential in accelerating the rectification of shortcomings and weaknesses, focusing on enhancing endogenous growth momentum, and speeding up the achievement of the 100-billion-yuan milestone, thereby driving the high-quality development of the province’s county-level economy to reach “accelerated growth.”Counties that newly achieve the “100-billion-yuan” target will be given priority for recommendation as Advanced Counties for High-Quality Development in the same year. (Led by the Provincial Development and Reform Commission, with cooperation from relevant provincial departments)

(2) Implement the Demonstration Plan for Characteristic Strong Counties. From 2023 to 2024, a batch of characteristic strong counties will be designated in fields such as industry, modern agriculture, ecological civilization, scientific and technological innovation, opening-up, modern logistics, and culture and tourism, with corresponding fiscal incentive policies implemented. (Led by the Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology, the Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the Provincial Department of Ecology and Environment, the Provincial Department of Science and Technology, the Provincial Department of Commerce, the Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, and the Provincial Department of Finance, with cooperation from relevant provincial departments)

(3) Implement the “Strengthening 100 Counties” Plan. With the 136 counties (cities, districts) as the main participants, under provincial coordination and with municipal governments bearing primary responsibility, this plan will guide counties to assess their comprehensive comparative advantages and carrying capacity, identify development directions, clarify development pathways, and propel their economies to new heights, fostering a positive dynamic of competitive, complementary, and coordinated development. (Led by the Provincial Development and Reform Commission, with cooperation from relevant provincial departments)

(4) Implement the Leapfrog Development Plan for Weak Counties. Identify approximately 20 weak counties and provide greater preferential treatment in terms of allocating provincial-level key projects and transfer payment funds; designate approximately 10 counties to implement a mechanism where provincial government leaders take direct responsibility for them. Form targeted assistance teams comprising provincial government departments, provincial-level enterprises, provincial universities, or research institutes to accelerate their leapfrog development.(Led by the General Office of the Provincial Government, the Provincial Development and Reform Commission, and the Provincial Department of Finance, with cooperation from relevant departments such as the Provincial Department of Education and the Provincial State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission)

(5) Implement the Revitalization Plan for Special-Type Counties. Actively seek central government transfer payments and ensure the allocation of provincial transfer payments to increase support for revolutionary base areas, key ecological function zones, and other such regions. Support eligible counties in applying for projects related to the comprehensive management of coal mining subsidence areas, the relocation and transformation of independent industrial and mining zones, and industrial transformation and upgrading demonstration zones; support revolutionary base areas in orderly undertaking industrial transfers.(Led by the Provincial Department of Finance and the Provincial Development and Reform Commission, with cooperation from the Provincial Department of Natural Resources, the Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology, and the Provincial Energy Bureau)

III. Key Measures

(1) Implement the Industrial Upgrading and Competitive Advantage Enhancement Project.

1. Cultivate Advantageous Industrial Clusters. By 2025, strive to cultivate approximately 50 provincial-level or higher strategic emerging industrial clusters, approximately 200 provincial-level “goose-formation” industrial clusters, approximately 20 advanced manufacturing clusters, and approximately 150 distinctive industrial clusters for small and medium-sized enterprises. More than 90% of counties should form 1–2 industrial clusters with an output value of over 10 billion yuan and strong competitive advantages.(Led by the Provincial Development and Reform Commission and the Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology)

2. Promote technological transformation and upgrading of traditional industries. Focusing on six major traditional industries such as metallurgy, we will continue to advance the “10,000 Technological Transformation Projects” and “10,000 Enterprise Transformation” initiatives in the industrial sector. Investment in technological transformation will grow by an average of 6% annually, accounting for a stable share of over 50% of total industrial investment, with approximately 10,000 technological transformation projects with an investment of 5 million yuan or more implemented on a rolling basis each year. We will deepen digital empowerment, ensuring that the comprehensive digitalization rate of key business processes in industrial enterprises above designated size exceeds 70%.(Led by the Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology)

3. Promote the integration and consolidation of industrial chains.Implement the “Ten Chains, Ten Thousand Enterprises” flagship initiative to integrate and strengthen industrial chains, fostering approximately 200 leading enterprises that dominate industrial ecosystems. Develop a series of service platforms for chain integration and consolidation, while simultaneously establishing quality infrastructure. Compile three lists covering supporting needs, cooperation intentions, and risks of supply chain disruptions. Regularly organize four-tiered (national, provincial, municipal, and county) matching events to promote regional resource sharing and inter-enterprise collaborative support. (Led by the Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology and the Provincial Market Regulation Bureau)

4. Enhance the Development Capabilities of Industrial Parks. Deepen the new round of reforms in the management system for development zones and revise and improve the catalog of leading industries for development zones (industrial parks). Cultivate a group of specialized industrial parks for small, medium, and micro enterprises with an output value exceeding 5 billion yuan, as well as county-level specialized industrial parks with an output value exceeding 10 billion yuan. Support industrial parks with notable development achievements in applying to establish national-level economic and technological development zones, high-tech zones, and agricultural high-tech zones. Support the creation of “enclaves” within industrial parks and implement tax-sharing policies.(Led by the Provincial Development and Reform Commission, Provincial Department of Commerce, Provincial Department of Science and Technology, and Provincial Department of Finance)

5. Promote the transformation and upgrading of the service sector. Implement the “100 Leading Enterprises in Productive Services Upgrade” initiative; by 2025, the number of provincial-level modern service industry clusters will reach 120, and the number of service industry innovation centers will reach 200. Leverage the Provincial Service Industry Development Guidance Fund to support key enterprises, projects, platforms, and regions demonstrating significant development achievements.Advance the Three-Year Action Plan for County-Level Commerce to create a group of national “leading counties” in county-level commerce. Support the development of headquarters economy, financial services, and human resources services in urban central districts to drive coordinated development in surrounding counties. (Led by the Provincial Development and Reform Commission, Provincial Department of Finance, and Provincial Department of Commerce; supported by the Provincial Bureau of Local Financial Supervision and the Provincial Department of Human Resources and Social Security)

6. Build new infrastructure. Deepen the “Industrial Empowerment of Shandong” initiative and establish a cumulative total of more than 300 provincial-level industrial internet platforms.Accelerate the construction and application of 5G, gigabit optical networks, and data centers, and establish a number of pilot demonstration projects for the integrated development of next-generation information technology and manufacturing. Accelerate the achievement of “full coverage of charging stations in every county” and “full coverage of charging piles in every township”; by 2025, the scale of distributed photovoltaic power generation development across entire counties will reach over 20 million kilowatts. (Led by the Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology, the Provincial Big Data Bureau, and the Provincial Energy Bureau)

(2) Implement the Project for a Leap in Scientific and Technological Innovation Capabilities.

1. Promote regional collaborative scientific and technological innovation. Vigorously cultivate the Jinan-Qingdao Science, Innovation, and Smart Manufacturing Corridor, and advance the deep integration of “science and innovation + industry + finance.” Support innovation cooperation among counties, and promote the sharing of innovation resources—including expert talent, innovation platforms, scientific facilities, research data, and technical verification and pilot testing environments—among innovation entities. (Led by the Provincial Department of Science and Technology, the Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology, and the Provincial Bureau of Local Financial Supervision)

2. Fully leverage the leading role of enterprises. Support enterprises in spearheading major projects to tackle key technological challenges, strengthen financing support for technology-based enterprises, and select and recommend a batch of key enterprises and projects to facilitate partnerships, agreements, and investment from national banks and government investment funds. Support the release of “challenge-based” science and technology project lists at the municipal level, and encourage neighboring counties to jointly release such lists. (Led by the Provincial Department of Science and Technology and the Provincial Development and Reform Commission)

3. Accelerate the development of high-level science and technology innovation platforms. Accelerate the construction of innovation platforms such as provincial technology innovation centers, key laboratories, new-type R&D institutions, industrial innovation centers, engineering research centers, and enterprise technology centers. Establish academician workstations in counties and promote the “Science and Technology Mayors’ Group” and “Doctoral Service Corps” models. By 2025, cultivate at least three additional National Innovative Counties (Cities) and create a group of industrially innovative townships.(Led by the Provincial Department of Science and Technology and the Provincial Development and Reform Commission)

4. Accelerate the commercialization of scientific and technological achievements. Improve the technology market system and organize more than 100 science and technology service events annually in county-level areas. Implement the “Bringing Achievements into Parks and Counties” initiative for science and technology programs, regularly soliciting and publicizing advanced and applicable technologies and products. Establish a credit support system for the commercialization of scientific and technological achievements, and strengthen performance management of patent agencies and science and technology intermediary service institutions.Encourage counties to establish targeted cooperation mechanisms with universities within and outside the province to bridge the “first mile” and “last mile” of technology commercialization. (Led by the Provincial Department of Science and Technology, the Provincial Market Regulation Bureau, and the Provincial Department of Education)

(3) Implement the Ecological Priority and Green Development Project.

1. Promote green and low-carbon transformation and development. Advance the construction of pilot enterprises, parks, and comprehensive zones for high-quality green and low-carbon development; create a number of near-zero-carbon cities and parks; and deepen the development of ecological industrial parks. Implement the Three-Year Action Plan for Carbon Finance Development, leverage the role of the carbon finance project repository, establish carbon accounts for enterprises in key energy-consuming industries, and expand multi-scenario applications. (Led by the Provincial Development and Reform Commission and the Provincial Department of Ecology and Environment)

2. Promote the Realization of Ecological Product Value. Innovatively carry out ecological product value accounting and support pilot counties in improving mechanisms for realizing ecological product value. Improve the integrated horizontal and vertical ecological compensation mechanism and advance the implementation of the inter-county river basin horizontal ecological compensation system. Support eligible counties in exploring market-based trading of energy and water rights, and conduct pilot projects on the Ecology-Oriented Development (EOD) model. (Led by the Provincial Development and Reform Commission, Provincial Department of Finance, Provincial Department of Ecology and Environment, and Provincial Department of Water Resources)

3. Strengthen ecological conservation, restoration, and governance. Intensify ecological conservation and restoration efforts in key areas and water bodies such as the Taiyi Mountain Range, Kunyu Mountain, Dongping Lake, the South Four Lakes, and the Dawen River. Promote the construction of ecological conservation and restoration projects for mountains, waters, forests, farmland, lakes, grasslands, and deserts; advance the Blue Bay Remediation Campaign and coastal zone conservation and restoration projects; and accelerate the development of a pilot demonstration province for scientific greening. (Led by the Provincial Department of Natural Resources and the Provincial Development and Reform Commission, with support from the Provincial Department of Ecology and Environment)

(IV) Implement the Rural Revitalization Empowerment and Efficiency Enhancement Project.

1. Stabilize and enhance comprehensive agricultural production capacity. Advance initiatives to support high-quality seed industries and increase yield per unit area for major grain and oilseed crops; develop production capacity for “one-ton-per-mu” and “one-and-a-half-ton-per-mu” grain yields; tap the potential of facility agriculture, standardized and large-scale livestock and poultry farming, deep-sea aquaculture, and comprehensive development of saline-alkali land; and establish standardized agricultural production bases and smart agriculture application bases. (Led by the Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs)

2. Strengthen new types of agricultural business entities. Guide social forces to establish service centers for new agricultural business entities, and encourage family farms to form farmers’ cooperatives and farmers’ cooperatives to establish enterprises. Deepen pilot programs for innovation in agricultural socialized services, and explore new scenarios, models, and pathways for such services. By 2025, the number of provincial-level or higher demonstration farmers’ cooperatives will reach 4,000. (Led by the Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs)

3. Foster the development of full agricultural industrial chains. Implement the Digital Agriculture Breakthrough Initiative to promote the coordinated dissemination of major agricultural technologies; carry out the Agricultural Leading Enterprises Revitalization Initiative to enhance premium agricultural product brands; and establish a number of key full-chain agricultural industrial chains and model counties. Construct county-level logistics distribution centers and township commercial centers; establish a network of cold storage and preservation services at agricultural production sites; and cultivate a number of rural e-commerce industrial belts with distinctive local characteristics. (Led by the Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and the Provincial Department of Commerce)

4. Prudently advance rural homestead land reform. Explore effective implementation models for the “separation of three rights” regarding homestead land. While fully safeguarding farmers’ legitimate rights and interests in homestead land, support rural collective economic organizations and their members in revitalizing idle homestead land and vacant residential properties through various means such as self-operation, leasing, equity participation, and cooperation. Launch pilot projects to standardize the circulation and trading of rural property rights. (Led by the Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs)

(V) Implement the Project to Expand and Upgrade the Private Economy.

1. Continuously optimize the business environment.Strictly implement the principle of “any activity not explicitly prohibited is permitted,” eliminate policies and measures that hinder the unified market and fair competition, and actively integrate into the national unified market. Advance the “Good Quality Shandong” brand initiative and designate no fewer than 30 provincial-level “Quality-Strong Counties.” Strengthen government integrity and continue to clean up and rectify government agencies with poor credit records. Annually designate approximately 10 counties as advanced models for high-quality development of the private economy. (Led by the Provincial Development and Reform Commission, the Provincial Market Regulation Bureau, and the Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology)

2. Cultivate and Strengthen Market Entities. Establish a pool for cultivating leading private enterprises, implement an action plan to foster and expand enterprises above designated scale, and strive to achieve full coverage of provincial-level “Specialized, Refined, Unique, and Innovative” (SRUI) enterprises across all counties. Build a provincial tiered cultivation platform for high-quality small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and implement targeted support for individual businesses based on their types and classifications. Vigorously promote the entrepreneurial spirit and increase the scale of selection and commendation activities in accordance with regulations. (Led by the Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology and the Provincial Market Regulation Bureau)

3. Focus on targeted industrial investment attraction. Advance targeted industrial investment promotion, establish a database of provincial-level key private investment projects, and compile a list of major projects, industrial projects, and concession projects to be promoted to private capital. Make full use of the “Choose Shandong” cloud platform, implement policies to ensure the supply of essential resources and provide fiscal support for major foreign investment projects, and enhance the level of foreign investment attraction. (Led by the Provincial Development and Reform Commission, Provincial Department of Commerce, and Provincial Department of Finance)

(VI) Implement the Reform Breakthrough and Opening-up Expansion Project.

1. Deepen the reform to expand county-level authority. Further advance pilot programs for comprehensive reform of key administrative responsibilities and continue to streamline “direct reporting and direct management” workflows. Guide cities and counties in implementing the system of government power and responsibility lists, and dynamically adjust these lists. Deepen reforms of the grassroots management system, improve the efficiency of using grassroots staffing resources, and, in accordance with the law, delegate economic and social management matters that are urgently needed at the grassroots level and can be effectively undertaken to towns (subdistricts). (Led by the Provincial Development and Reform Commission and the Provincial Party Committee’s Office of Institutional Reform, with cooperation from relevant provincial departments)

2. Optimize the outward-oriented development model. Support enterprises in participating in the overseas “100 Exhibitions Plan” and provide financial support for key exhibitions organized by various cities. Focus on building 10 provincial-level agricultural product export industrial clusters and more than 10 provincial-level specialized service trade export bases. Develop the “cross-border e-commerce + industrial belt” model and establish a number of county-level cross-border e-commerce parks. (Led by the Provincial Department of Commerce and the Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs)

3. Integrate into major regional strategies. Increase support for flood control and water safety in counties along the Yellow River, as well as for the intensive and efficient use of water resources. Support counties in deeply integrating into the “One Cluster, Two Centers, Three Circles” development framework; encourage horizontal collaboration among counties; promote the integrated development of neighboring counties; and support counties in interprovincial border areas in exploring cross-provincial cooperation. Support eligible counties in undertaking provincial-level pilot programs for comprehensive reform of the market-based allocation of national factors.(Led by the Provincial Development and Reform Commission)

4. Strengthen the functional role of urbanization platforms. Roll out more than 200 key projects annually to address shortcomings and strengthen weak areas in urbanization. Accelerate the construction of an efficient and convenient comprehensive transportation system; by 2025, basically achieve “two expressways per county,” and promote 60% of counties to meet the four-star or higher standards for new-type smart cities. Deepen the development of national and provincial pilot zones for integrated urban-rural development. (Led by the Provincial Development and Reform Commission, Provincial Department of Transportation, and Provincial Big Data Bureau)

5. Continuously improve people’s well-being. Improve the employment support system, create more than 1.1 million new urban jobs annually, and continuously expand the middle-income group. Construct, renovate, or expand more than 200 kindergartens and primary and secondary schools each year. By 2025, strive to establish approximately 200 county-level secondary medical service centers, achieve 100% coverage of comprehensive elderly care service institutions at the subdistrict level and 100% provision of community elderly care facilities, and reach a basic pension insurance enrollment rate of 96%.Conduct pilot programs at multiple levels and encourage localities to explore effective pathways to achieving common prosperity. (Led by the Provincial Department of Human Resources and Social Security, the Provincial Department of Education, the Provincial Health Commission, the Provincial Department of Civil Affairs, and the Provincial Development and Reform Commission)

(7) Implement the Resource and Factor Support Project.

1. Improve land use management systems. Refine the systems for the transfer, lease, and mortgage of construction land in the secondary market. Support the revitalization of existing low-efficiency construction land and explore clearance channels such as lawful negotiated reclamation and agreement-based transfer.Deepen pilot programs for the entry of rural collective-owned commercial construction land into the market, and encourage the use of various methods to revitalize rural collective construction land. Each city shall designate at least one county as a pilot area, and implement differentiated urban land use tax policies for enterprises participating in the comprehensive “acreage productivity and efficiency” evaluation. (Led by the Provincial Department of Natural Resources and the Provincial Department of Finance; supported by the Provincial Tax Bureau, Qingdao Tax Bureau, and the Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology)

2. Strengthen support for talent development. Establish a three-tier (provincial, municipal, and county) talent card coordination mechanism to serve outstanding talent, expand the scope of pilot programs for building micro-ecosystems for youth talent development, and explore flexible talent recruitment mechanisms suited to the characteristics of county-level areas.Deepen the implementation of projects to attract urgently needed talent and deploy deputy heads of science and technology departments on temporary assignments in key support areas. Support counties in establishing high-level vocational colleges (including technical schools) and vocational skills training bases in accordance with industrial development plans. (Led by the Provincial Party Committee Organization Department, the Provincial Department of Human Resources and Social Security, the Provincial Development and Reform Commission, the Provincial Department of Science and Technology, and the Provincial Department of Education)

3. Enhance the effectiveness of fiscal policies. Deepen fiscal system reforms at the sub-provincial level, clearly define fiscal responsibilities and expenditure obligations below the provincial level, reasonably allocate transfer payments for shared fiscal responsibilities, and improve the tiered cost-sharing methods for major livelihood policy expenditures.Optimize the system of transfer payments from the province to lower levels and establish a long-term mechanism to ensure county-level fiscal capacity. Leverage the role of government-guided funds to increase the supply of equity investments through the establishment of industrial park funds and project funds, thereby attracting social capital. Allocate new government special bonds reasonably and steadily resolve existing debt. Further strengthen fiscal budget discipline to ensure that debt levels align with debt-repayment capacity, and strictly control illegal and non-compliant government borrowing and financing. (Led by the Provincial Department of Finance)

4. Deepen financial policy support. Deepen financial guidance and financial partnership mechanisms, and expand the scope and improve the quality of the “financial manager” pilot program. Advance the pilot construction of listed company incubation clusters, implement incentive and subsidy policies for multi-tiered capital markets, and encourage counties with no listed companies to achieve their first listing as soon as possible. Support counties in continuously optimizing development in areas such as supply chain finance, inclusive finance, green finance, financial support for technological innovation, and financial services for new urban residents.Deepen the application of credit information and vigorously advance the “Credit-Easy-Loan” initiative. (Led by the Provincial Bureau of Local Financial Supervision, the Provincial Department of Finance, and the Provincial Development and Reform Commission; supported by the People’s Bank of China Shandong Branch, the Shandong Regulatory Bureau of the National Financial Supervision and Administration, the Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology, the Provincial Department of Science and Technology, and the Shandong Securities Regulatory Bureau)

5. Optimize the allocation of environmental capacity. Implement flexible management of total energy consumption, support the priority use of renewable energy at the point of generation, and ensure that the resulting renewable energy consumption is not included in local energy consumption dual-control assessments in accordance with regulations.Strengthen energy supply guarantees for provincial-level key projects; for projects involving major national industrial layouts, actively seek national support for separate energy consumption quotas. Deploy energy storage facilities in green energy power generation clusters based on local conditions. Encourage polluting entities to implement emission reduction measures, with the resulting replacement quotas prioritized for their own new projects. (Led by the Provincial Development and Reform Commission, Provincial Energy Bureau, and Provincial Department of Ecology and Environment)

IV. Organizational Guarantees

(1) Elevate political awareness and strengthen organizational leadership. Uphold the Party’s leadership over county-level economic work, establish and improve working mechanisms, and ensure the concrete implementation of the action plan. Relevant departments of the provincial government shall formulate implementation measures for each item. All cities shall establish corresponding working mechanisms to coordinate and resolve difficulties and issues encountered in the development of county-level economies.

(2) Implement differentiated evaluations and strengthen positive incentives. Annually, conduct differentiated evaluations to identify a group of counties that are advanced or making progress in high-quality county-level economic development. These counties will be publicly commended and given priority support when provincial major projects are allocated, provided conditions are equal. Cadres who demonstrate outstanding performance and tangible achievements will be given priority consideration for promotion and rank advancement.

(3) Promote pilot initiatives to advance higher-level safe development. Conduct pilot programs for high-quality county-level economic development by category, implementing “menu-style services” and “checklist-based implementation.” Balance the relationship between development and security, focus on mitigating and preventing major risks across all sectors, and build a robust barrier for development security.