The eastern coastal city of Qingdao, Shandong province has pledged to further push forward higher-level opening-up so as to build an open economy.

A guideline on the city's further opening up and high-quality development was approved during the eighth plenary meeting of the twelfth CPC Qingdao Municipal Committee held on Oct 24.

The guideline consists of 23 measures to map out the city's targets and development path toward becoming an increasingly attractive and open city.

Qingdao, a coastal city in East China's Shandong province, furthers opening up. [Photo/qingdaonews.com]

Qingdao has always been at the forefront of China's opening-up, said local authorities.

As one of China's first coastal cities to be opened to the rest of the world and an international port city, Qingdao plays an important role in the New Eurasian Land Bridge economic corridor and is a hub city of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.

As part of its efforts to stimulate domestic demand and explore new room for China's economic growth, the city has also taken the lead in promoting intercity cooperation among areas along the Yellow River and member cities of the Jiaodong Economic Circle.

Qingdao is today one of China's most globally connected cities. According to the 18th Report on China's Urban Competitiveness released on Oct 22 by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Economic Daily, Qingdao is ranked eighth on the list of the most globally connected domestic city.

Cargo ships dock at the Qingdao Port, Shandong province. [Photo/qingdaonews.com]

Up to now, Qingdao has 216 global trading partners, covering almost all economic entities in the world, with an annual trade volume of nearly 600 billion yuan ($89.52 billion).

At sea, more than 170 maritime routes connect Qingdao Port to more than 700 ports in over 180 countries and regions around the world, handling more than 600 million tons of goods and more than 21 million TEUs of container traffic annually.

The Qingdao Airport has 203 regular flights to 97 domestic cities and 29 international cities, carrying more than 25 million passengers each year.