Dalian Changxing Island Economic and Technological Development Zone is located in the middle of the west side of Liaodong Peninsula and the east bank of Bohai Sea.

On June 9, 2005, the provincial party committee and the provincial government made a decision to develop Changxing Island with the strength of the whole province. In November 2005, the District Party Working Committee and Management Committee were established. In July, 2009, along with Liaoning Coastal Economic Belt, it became a national strategy and was identified as the key area of "5.1 Line". In April 2010, it was upgraded to a national development zone. In June 2010, the provincial comprehensive reform pilot zone was established. In July 2011, the State Council approved the opening of ports. In March 2012, the 12th Five-Year Plan for Revitalizing Northeast China was listed as one of the three key areas for opening to the outside world in Northeast China. In August 2014, the Implementation Opinions of the State Council on Several Major Policy Initiatives to Support the Revitalization of Northeast China in the Near Future gave key policy support. In September 2014, the State Council approved Changxing Island (Xizhong Island) petrochemical industry base to be included in the national petrochemical industry planning and layout, and included in the seven petrochemical industry bases supported by the state, giving it the task of "building a world-class petrochemical industry base".

There is broad room for development. The planned total area of the whole region is 598 square kilometers, including 350 square kilometers of original land area, 108 square kilometers of tidal flat dredging and 140 square kilometers of sea area. It consists of five islands, including Changxing Island, Xizhong Island, Fengming Island, Exchange Island and Camel Island. Changxing Island has a planned area of 268.5 square kilometers and an original area of 252.5 square kilometers, making it the largest island north of the Yangtze River.

The location advantage is obvious. Dalian in the south and Anshan, Shenyang and other urban agglomerations in central Liaoning in the north. The land is 292 kilometers away from Shenyang and 83 kilometers away from Dalian; The sea is 59 nautical miles away from Lvshunkou, 170 nautical miles away from Tianjin Port, 339 nautical miles away from Yinchuan Port of South Korea and 646 nautical miles away from Nagasaki Port of Japan.

The harbor conditions are superior. The coastline around the five islands is 213 kilometers long. In 2005, the expert group of the Ministry of Communications considered that Changxing Island is the only deepwater shoreline that has not been fully developed in China, the best deep-water port line resource in Bohai Bay, and the key area for port economic development in Northeast China.

Unique geographical environment. All five islands are independent islands, only 500 meters away from the nearest end of the mainland. At present, they are connected to the mainland by three road bridges and one railway bridge. It is conducive to the formation of a closed policy development area.

At the time of development, the registered population of the whole district was 59,000, and the existing resident population was more than 100,000.