Weihai Economic and Technological Development Zone is a state-level development district ratified by the State Council in October 1992. Covering an administrative area of 278.16 km² and a built-up area of 42.3 km², it has three towns, three sub-district offices, 108 administrative villages, and 35 communities under its jurisdiction. At present, the Zone has a registered population of 168,000 and a resident population of 225,000.

Situated in the southeast of the downtown of Weihai, a national role model city in ethical and cultural progress and a global role model city with the most livable environment, the Zone is home to Weihai International Port, Weihai Railway Station, Long-Distance Bus Station, and Yantai–Weihai–Qingdao intercity railway. It is 35 km away from Weihai International Airport and faces Japan and South Korea across the sea, making it the nearest site in China to South Korea and the export channel of foreign trade in northern China. Since its establishment, the Zone has taken economic development as the central task, ideological emancipation as the guidance, reform and opening-up as the driving force, and building a rich and strong zone as the mission. With an annual growth rate of over 20% on major economic indicators, all economic and social undertakings in the Zone continue to develop in a healthy and rapid manner, by which it has emerged as the bridgehead for the reform and opening-up of Weihai City and the new urban area with rising industrial development. In recent years in particular, great efforts have been made to construct the Coastal City of East, China-Korea Free Trade Zone, and the National Pilot Zone for Innovation and Development of Service and Trade. Following such strategies as “building Weihai into an industry-driven city with strong industries, making progress in service business” and “realizing citywide urbanization, downtown integration, and key area development”, it spares no effort to promote regional transformation and upgrading and innovation breakthroughs, and to accelerate the process for developing itself into a regional economic cooperation pilot zone of the China-Korea Free Trade Zone, a leading zone of service trade and innovation development, a national industry-city integration demonstration zone, a characteristic advantage industry gathering zone, and a modern harmonious and happy city zone. In 2016, the Zone’s GDP reached RMB 22.5 billion, up 8.5% on  the previous year; the Zone’s general public budget revenue recorded RMB 2.48 billion, up 5.3% than the previous year; the Zone’s fixed asset investment amounted to RMB 17.1 billion, grow by 14.3%; the Zone’s retail sales of consumer goods totaled RMB 13.2 billion, rising 11.3%.