Qingdao Mayor Xia Geng said his city in East China’s Shandong province has enjoyed “extraordinary” growth during the past five years of the country’s 11th five-year planning period.

"The years have witnessed hard-won achievements and the increase of both valuable experience and spiritual wealth with far-reaching effects,” Xia told the news media during a recent interview.

"That was the essential conclusion by the fifth plenum of the 17th central committee of the CPC, which was held in Beijing last month,” he said.

Xia credited the Qingdao people under the leadership of the CPC committee, the State Council, CPC Shandong Provincial Committee, the provincial government and CPC Qingdao Municipal Committee for Qingdao’s success story.

The mayor listed several infrastructure and transportation projects during the past five years that have enhanced the city’s economic status. In addition, the city hosted the Sailing Regatta of the 2008 Olympics.

The city’s GDP increased from 300 billion yuan to 500 billion yuan during the past five years, he said.

"With the GDP per capita close to $ 10,000, the city’s overall strength has ranked among the top 10 of all large and medium-sized cities in the country,” Xia said.

Xia said the city’s fixed assets investments above 5 million yuan each increased to over 1 trillion yuan, three times more than that of the 10th five-year planning period. Construction projects have begun on a cross-harbor tunnel, cross-harbor bridge and subways.

"With new water, power and heating network improvement, the city has been marching rapidly towards theist modernization goal,” the mayor said.

People’s living conditions also have changed significantly, he said.

"Being people-oriented, we attempted to solve the problems that both urban and the rural people care about most by establishing security systems for employment, social security, medical and healthcare, education and housing systems. In the past five years, the city invested 37 billion yuan in people’s livelihoods, accounting for 60 percent of the local government budgetary revenue of the period. In 2010, it exceeded 11 billion, 3.7 times as much as in 2005,” the mayor said.

Under the city’s “Civilized Qingdao” project, the city has built new landmarks with the Qingdao Grand Theater, Qingdao Sports Center and Olympic Sailing Museum.

"After looking back to the 11th five-year plan and looking forward to the coming 12th one, we are convinced that we will be able to make positive contribution to the latter,” the mayor said.

"There is no doubt that under the strong leadership of the CPC Central, Provincial, and Municipal committees, the 12th five-year will witness a more prosperous, civilized and harmonious New Qingdao and much better new life of Qingdao citizens,” he said.

By China Daily Qingdao Bureau