Targeting at a " world-renowned city with distinctive features" and a " national key center city", Qingdao's focus is on develop the three economic fields of port, tourism and marine science as well as on the construction of the four industrial bases for  home appliances and electronics, petrochemicals, automobile, locomotive manufacturing and shipbuilding and new materials.  Qingdao is currently developing six industrial clusters for home appliances, electronic information, petrochemicals, automobile, shipbuilding and port as well as building a regional shipping center, logistics center, service center, financial center and high-tech industrial center.

Qingdao's development is based on the concept of "three-point layout", "one-line planning" and "group development strategy". The "three-point layout" refers to the development of the Jiaozhou Bay region relying on the three basic points of the old urban district of Qingdao, Huangdao and Hongdao, and the construction of the new urban district by connecting the three points with a trans-oceanic bridge or undersea tunnel and the Jiaozhou Bay Expressway. The "one-line planning" refers to building a coastal highway from Langyatai in Jiaonan to Tianhengdao Island in Jimo, which will connect all parts of the city to form a main urban development belt. The "group development strategy" refers to the expansion of business groups on both sides of the coastal highway. There will be seven development groups respectively in Tianhengdao Island, Aoshan, Zhucheng, Hongdao, Huangdao, Jiaonan and Langyatai, which will push forward the urbanization of the adjacent regions.

To carry out the west coast development strategy: this involves the westward relocation of the port, and the construction of an "international port" and an international transshipment port. It will promote investment in large projects and the emergence of a new economic center on the west coast.

To construct "five areas": by adjusting the productivity layout, a development mode will be established in five areas:  the city's west coast and east coast, the North bank of the Jiaozhou Bay, the suburban areas and the old urban area. The plan will be carried out in strict accordance with administration layout adjustment .