According to a blue economy forum, in Qingdao, on May 8, the country will build two high-speed railways to link the city of Qingdao with the cities of Jinan and Shanghai. The 360-kilometer Qingdao-Jinan line has been put at the top of Shandong provincial government priorities and the railway line is expected to have a positive influence on surrounding areas.

Zhang Wufeng, the head of Shandong's development and reform commission, explained, "The Shandong government will speed up work on the project, which will shorten the trip from 2.5 hours to a mere one hour."

Edited by Roger Bradshaw and Gao Yuan