Shandong is situated on the eastern coast of China and located in the lower reaches of The Yellow River, which is honored as “the mother river of the Chinese nation”. It borders on the Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea. Shandong faces Japan and the Korean Peninsula to the east, and is connected with Hebei Province in the northwest, with Henan Province in the southwest, while in the south; it neighbors Anhui and Jiangsu provinces. Shandong and Liaodong peninsulas almost encircle the Bohai Sea. This special geological location makes Shandong a point of intersection linking the Yellow River Economic Belt, the Bohai Ring Economic Area, North China and the East China. It occupies a significant position in the Chinese economic structures. Shandong province has an area of more than 150,000 square kilometers and a population of 72.96 million and Shandongs mainland coastline totals 3,000 kilometers.

Shandong became only the second province to reach a GDP of over 3 trillion Yuan in 2008. While most of the economies across the world are suffering from the current financial uncertainties, Shandong, the eastern coastal province, impressed all by a 2008 GDP of 3.17021 trillion yuan—a growth of nearly 12.1 percent, achieving an accomplishment previously only matched by China’s traditionally most prosperous province—Guangdong.

In April 2009, General Secretary Hu Jintaos inspection tour in Shandong, a clear proposal to build "blue Shandong Peninsula Economic Zone" was raised. Shandong is striving to go green during its transformation from an "ocean economy" to a "blue economy”. Compared with the traditional ocean economy, the blue economy is more scientific and profound and covers a wider range of subjects. It attaches more importance to development of high-level industries, balanced utilization of natural resources and scientific innovation as well as protection of the ecology."

Shandong has established strict range of criteria, particularly with regards to environmental protection and it has become the biggest market of environment industries in the next decade in China. In order to promote the development of environment industries, Shandong Government has successfully held three sessions of “Shandong Eco-Province Executive Forum and International Exhibition on Green Industry (“Green Exhibition” for short)” respectively in 2004, 2006 and 2008. On the 3^rd Green Exhibition, participators included guests of 17 countries and regions, such as United States, Korea, Canada, Denmark, Japan, German, Italy, Mexico, Singapore, Spain and so on, and also leaders from the governments of the Provincial and localities, journalists and reporters, foreign and domestic exhibitors and visitors from various places. There were 6381 business-to-business meetings and 1050 show places in a space of 9450 square meters. The total values of contracts and agreements hit 87.7 billion RMB.

Confucius said that it is such a delight to have friends coming from afar! Shandong is known for its civilization and hospitality and we here sincerely invite you to join the 4^th Green Exhibition in Qingdao, July 3-5, 2010.