On May 9, Yantai unveiled a marine economic zone development plan that calls for ocean-related industries in the city to make products valued at 220 billion yuan by 2015, an average annual growth of 15 percent.

"Yantai is speeding up construction of a marine economic system," Yantai Mayor Zhang Jiangting told China Daily.

"We are committed to building Yantai into the most influential marine economic zone at home and abroad within five to 10 years," Zhang stressed.

With 909 km of coastline along the Yellow and Bohai seas, the city has a maritime expanse nearly twice the size of its land.

Rich in biological, tourism, mineral and marine resources, Yantai has great potential for further development, say city officials. It has seven ports along with zones for development, high-tech, export processing and other businesses.

A train ferry crossing the Bohai Sea linking China, Japan and South Korea is planned to make Yantai a transport hub in a potential future free trade zone.

The coastal city is also striving to become an international tourism destination. According to local government projections, by 2015 Yantai will host more than 40 million tourists that generate revenues of 55 billion yuan.

The five-year plan calls for 12 new marine scientific institutions and universities along with national and provincial oceanic technology research centers, engineering laboratories and enterprise R&D facilities. More than 20 marine industry bases and parks are planned using a total overseas investment of $2 billion.

Marine sectors planned for increased development include fisheries, other aquatic products, equipment manufacturing, oceanic energy, tourism, transportation and logistics, seawater use and near port processing.

A ship and marine equipment base is also planned by 2015, along with a new energy base with installed capacity of 5.6 million kw.

By 2015, Yantai's fisheries are projected to have revenues of 80 billion yuan, while the city is expected to have 500 auto and parts businesses producing 800,000 vehicles and 110 billion yuan in revenues.