Business continues to boom in Shandong, with manufacturing dominating the economy; in the past the province has been a cradle for some of China’s better known national champions, such as electronics manufacturers Haier and Hisense, and others are likely to soon follow. Machinery and component manufacture has been particularly important in driving the industrial development of Qingdao, and this has been boosted by the local government’s efforts to attract high-tech foreign firms to Shandong, via special high-tech and export zones.
Qingdao and the other major industrial cities in Shandong (like Yantai, Zibo, Weifang, Jinan) are an attractive option for advanced manufacturing, not least because of their relatively cheap rent, easy access to a large concentration of suppliers, and well-established shipping routes. However, the threat of intellectual property theft, such as the copying of designs, patented inventions, or company trade marks, remains high throughout China and no less so in Shandong. Continue reading “Intellectual Property and Shandong’s Tech-driven Growth” »
