XINTAI City cover san area of almost 2,000 square kilometers, and houses a population of more than 1.3 million. It is situated in central Shandong Province between Taishan Mountain and Confucius' hometown Qufu, east of the Shandong Peninsula. The Beijing-Shanghai and Harbin-Xintai expressways run through the city. Xintai has ambitious plans to boost its industrial development as well as its private economy. It wants to attract more foreign investment to enhance its economic power.In 2004, Xintai realized a GDP of morethan RMB 18 billion, and generated revenue amounting to RMB 730 million. It has been listed as one of Shandong's 30 strong economic forces.