Northeast China's Jilin Province is endeavoring to build the newly-approved Changchun-Jilin-Tumen pilot zone into a modern industrial and agricultural base and an innovation center in northeast Asia, Governor of Jilin Han Changfu said Wednesday.

"The gross domestic product (GDP) in the pilot zone is forecast to quadruple from now by 2020 and become a modern logistics base, an international commercial service center and an important economic growth pole in northeast Asia," Han told reporters.

The Chinese government has approved the pilot zone in the Tumen River Delta to boost the cross-border cooperation in the northeast Asian region, the provincial government announced Monday.

Han said Wednesday that the pilot zone could serve as a strategic platform to push forward the cross-border cooperation in the Tumen River Delta.

The pilot zone covers one third of Jilin's area and accounts for half of the provincial GDP.

The northeastern region, rich in natural resources, is the country's traditional base of heavy industry and agriculture.

(Xinhua News Agency November 19, 2009)