CRI听力：Northeast China to Be the Next Growth Pole

China's northeastern region is the country's old heavy- industrial center. It is to be the focus of a new development program, recently approved by China's State Council.

According to the northeast revival plan, the Chinese government will prioritize the development of the region in the future.

Xu Weiyi reports.

Reporter:
Northeastern China, which includes provinces of Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang, is home to the country's old industrial bases.

It was once the powerhouse of the country. However, the region has lagged far behind the coastal areas in recent years, struggling with low profiting state-owned enterprises, unemployment and depletion of natural resources.

In 2003, the Chinese government initiated a strategy to revitalize northeastern China and introduced a number of measures. But an overall plan is still in need.

Zhao Ying, an expert from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, says that the northeastern China revival plan has been made.

"Many policies adopted since 2003 are targeting on specific areas and many are only experimental policies. So we need to make a complete and feasible plan to take the old northeastern industrial bases as a region with unique features."

The revival plan aims to build the northeastern region into an equipment manufacturing base with international competitiveness in 10 or 15 years.

The region is also expected to be a base for producing raw material and energy, for commercial grain and other agricultural products, and also technical research.

Zhao Ying says the revival plan has taken full consideration of the region's natural conditions and advantages.

"I think this plan is not only targeting on some specific areas or pointing out a direction. Instead, it makes a detailed route for the revival of the northeastern region. It's a feasible plan to promote the reform of old industrial bases systematically."
The State Council has called on relevant departments to increase financial support for the region and create a good policy environment.

In addition to the three northeastern provinces, the plan also involves part of the nearby Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, as it is economically complementary to the northeast.

Xu Weiyi, CRI news.