Qingdao is a pioneer among Chinese cities in proposing a "brand boosts economy" and carrying out the strategy. Qingdao became the "capital of brands" by transforming itself from a brand economy to a brand city during the 11th Five-Year Plan period.

At present, Qingdao owns 130 nationally famous brands and trademarks, 272 provincial famous brands, 401 municipal famous brands, and five National Quality Management Award winner companies. The number of these famous brands and trademarks made a real breakthrough from that of the end of the "10th Five Year Plan."

Qingdao has a larger number of national famous brands than other Chinese cities at the same level. The number of well-known industrial companies in Qingdao is 270, and the brand economy accounts for more than 50 percent of the city's industrial economy.

Xing Yangqing, director of the Qingdao Economy and Information Commission, said Qingdao's brand positioning grew stronger during the 11th Five-Year Plan period, indicating that the city's brand cluster advantages and technological innovations reinforced the core competitiveness of the city's brands.

Giant brand, such as Haier, Hisense, Qingdao Beer and Double Stars stepped onto the international stage by making use of their brand advantages in China.

Haier, the Chinese brand of household appliances, established 29 manufacturing bases around the world, eight comprehensive R&D centers and 19 overseas trading companies. Another famous Qingdao brand, Hisense, owns two listed companies -- Hisense Electric and Hisense Kelon -- on the Shanghai, Shenzhen and Hong Kong stock markets. The Hisense Group is the only Chinese company which enjoys three nationally famous brands: Haisense, Kelon and Rongsheng.

The 110-year old CSR Qingdao Sifang Locomotive & Rolling Stock Co is the first company in China tor each total revenues of 10 billion yuan ($1.5 billion) in the country's rail transportation equipment manufacturing industry. Qingdao Beer products are sold to more than 70 countries and regions, and the company has 53 brewing plants in China. By increasing its production by 60 percent in recent years, Qingdao Beer became one of the top 10 international brewing manufacturers.

Qingdao's industrial base today includes 21 independent brand companies with an annual income of more than 5 billion yuan ($753.5 million). The rapid expansion of the scale of the key brand companies became the essence of a fast, yet healthy growth of the city's industrial economy.

During the 11th Five-Year Plan period, Qingdao strived for more brand-based investments to its industrial chains, and imported more pivotal parts and high-notch auxiliary products. The famous brand companies and varied industrial brand chains combined into an industrial brand cluster.

Meanwhile, the seven key industries -- electronic appliances, petrochemistry, food and beverages, textiles and garments, automobiles and locomotives, machinery steel, and shipping and marine engineering -- attracted at least 80 percent of the city's famous products and companies, accounting for 85 percent of the city's gross industrial income. Qingdao now has 192 enterprise technology centers, including 17 at the national level, three key national laboratories and two national engineering technology centers. The drafting of almost 600 international and national industrial standards were hosted or involved by companies with a root in Qingdao.

By Dai Yan (China Daily Qingdao Bureau)

Editor: Li Jing