Residents in Weihai City in East China's Shandong Province are expected to benefit from its enhanced environmental programs to build itself into an ecological urban center.

"We are trying to build a developed ecological economy, and Weihai is becoming one of the best places for everyday living, as well as for new entrepreneurs to set up businesses here," said Weihai Party Secretary Cui Yuechen in an interview yesterday.

Cui said that, in the next five years, Weihai will develop more high-tech industries while keeping itself as an ecologically protected city.

A group of ecological development zones and industrial parks are expected to start construction as of next May, with a total investment of 2 billion yuan (US$282 million).

In the past 10 years, the city has received many honourable titles in environmental protection and city construction.

In 1996, the city was distinguished as one of the "100 Best Cities to Live In" by the United Nations.

Weihai is surrounded by sea on three sides, and its coastlines stretch for more than 1,000 kilometres, accounting for one-third of the total of Shandong Province.

To date, the city has segmented off a total of nine sections for different urban functions; these include residential, industrial, cultural and entertainment, commercial and tourism and holiday areas.

And 97.6 per cent of urban consumption is devoted to using clean energy, such as coal gas and liquefied petroleum gas. All its solid urban waste is recycled.

Waste water containing oil from docks and ports is all disposed, and 72 per cent of its waste water is dealt with after being discharged from processing plants.

The city has also pumped more than 2 billion yuan (US$282 million) into pollution treatment.

(China Daily July 4, 2003)