A new strategy has been launched to revitalize the old industrial sector of Northeast China's Liaoning Province.

A development plan, called "five spots and one line", will take advantage of the province's coastal areas and the resources from its central city clusters, Li Keqiang, secretary of the Liaoning provincial committee of the Communist Party of China, revealed yesterday.

The "five spots" are five key economic areas along the province's coast incorporating six coastal cities: Dalian, Dandong, Jinzhou, Yingkou, Panjin and Huludao. The "one line" is a road that connects the six cities along the coast.

"That is to make full use of the 2,200 kilometers of coastlines and 430 kilometers of port lines to boost the areas," Li said.

More than 2,000 square kilometers of coast could be developed for industrial use, Li said.

Northeast China boasts enterprises that once were the nation's backbone producers.

However, it lost its competitive edge after China adopted its reform and development policy in 1979. Following that, its development lagged far behind that of the country's thriving east coast area.

At a press conference, each city within the economic belt revealed its own plan.

Xia Deren, mayor of Dalian, one of China's major ports, said he wants the city to become an important international shipping center in Northeast Asia.

Zhao Huaming, mayor of Yingkou, said the port city was developing its coastal industrial base on 120 square kilometers of barren seashore.

Dandong, the port city adjacent to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, wants to enhance its capability to ship international cargo.

Jinzhou wants to attract investment to its largely petro-chemical and equipment manufacturing industrial zones.

And Huludao wants to build large ships.

"(The coastal areas') development will definitely facilitate the exports of Shenyang," Chen Zhenggao, Party secretary of Shenyang, said.

(China Daily 03/07/2007 page5)