The 2010 China (Qingdao) International Forum on New Energy and Sino-German Cooperation Qingdao Summit will be held April 28 – 30 in Qingdao, a coastal city in east China's Shandong Province.

Focusing on new energy and sustainable development, the event has attracted almost 400 companies from China and abroad, including 29 Fortune 500 companies, as well as research institutes, commercial chambers and associations.

Participants will discuss topics concerning development and application of new energy, energy saving, emission reduction and environmental protection, and energy saving architecture.

Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, Minister-President of State of Bavaria Horst Seehofer and leaders from Poland, Japan and Austria will attend the forum and hold talks with Shandong's governor and other provincial leaders.

Shandong views this forum and summit as an important step in restructuring its economic growth and promoting the construction of the Blue Economic Zone and Yellow River Delta Eco-Efficient Zone.

"The New Energy Forum will enhance international communication and cooperation as well as further new energy industry development," said Wang Xu, deputy Party secretary of Shandong.

This eastern province's GDP grew 11.9 percent to 3.38 trillion yuan (US$495 billion) in 2009, ranking third among China's provinces. Maintaining rapid growth while saving energy and reducing emissions is a big challenge for its development. Shandong plans to increase new energy resources to account for between 5 percent and 10 percent of its energy.