Over the past five years, the northeastern province of Heilongjiang has taken advantage of the central government's move to revitalize its old industrial bases and increasing domestic demand.

Since 2006, it has started 11,500 industrial projects, or 4,500 more than under the 10th Five-year Plan (2001-2005).

In the past, a smaller industrial chain limited Heilongjiang's development and that still has an effect.

To deal with these problems, the province began pushing large industrial projects, taking full use of its advantages, extending its industrial chain, and developing high-tech industries.

After that, it was able to bring technological strength to industrial bases, and integrate the development of human and natural resources. And it solved its problem of poor resource development and primary production.

Now, fixed-asset industrial investment is expected to reach 760 billion yuan by the end of 2010, which will be 3.6 times that under the 10th Five-year Plan.

This means a 27.6-percent increase every year, or 10.1 percent more than that under the 10th Five-year Plan.

In 2010, after a period of research and analysis, the provincial government set aside 700 million yuan in special funds for industrial restructuring.

It focused on 22 industrial projects in four ways -- injecting capital, providing low-interest loans, funding research and development, and providing venture capital. The large projects are mainly concentrated in photovoltaic technology, new materials, biomedicines, new energy equipment, new farm machinery, transportation equipment, green foods, iron and steel, coal chemicals, petrochemicals, and forestry and paper industry.

There are nine equipment-manufacturing projects, two in food, three in pharmaceuticals, and one in paper materials. There are 19 emerging industry projects and three in upgrading traditional industries.

By 2015, after all these projects go into operation, the province's sales revenue are expected to reach 163 billion yuan.

This can help Heilongjiang form a number of pillar industries and strategic emerging industries with a strong international competitiveness.

In November 2010, a provincial committee group met to study the 5th Plenary Session of the 17th CPC Central Committee to draw up a provincial 12th Five-Year Plan.

Ji Bingxuan, the secretary of the provincial Party committee, said that "the Eight Economic Zones and 10 Large Projects strategy suits the requirements of the Scientific Outlook on Development and is in keeping with Heilongjiang's situation. The policies are concrete and practicable."

The Eight Economic Zones are the Harbin-Daqing-Qiqihar industrial corridor; a coal-power construction zone; the Northeast Asia Economic and Commercial Development Zone; the Harbin-Mudanjiang-Suifenhe-Dongning Commercial and Processing Zone for Trade with Russia; an ecological protection zone in the Greater Khingan and Lesser Khingan Mountains; the agricultural comprehensive development and experimental zone on the Songnen and Sanjiang Plains; the Characteristic Tourism Developing Zone of Northern Scenery; and an intensive high-tech industrial development zone.

The 10 Large Projects are a 500-million-kg grain production base; a socialist countryside construction area; a key industrial construction project; a modern communications transportation network project; a comprehensive tourism project; a pilot project of urban construction; a human resources project; an eco-environmental protection project; a civilized city project; and a one to guarantee and improve people's livelihood.

(China Daily December 15, 2010)