Dandong Industrial Zone in this coastal city of Northeast China's Liaoning Province has an ambitious plan to turn itself into an area with developed industries and advanced environment.

Designated as part of a key provincial development zone and listed high on the agenda of the city government, the industrial zone has a planned area of 97 square kilometers. Its 39-square-kilometer initial area includes the Langtou Industrial Area (12 square kilometers), the West Coastal Harbor Area (7 square kilometers) and the East Coastal Harbor Area (20 square kilometers).

The zone is to be developed into a comprehensive and modern port area.

The Langtou area will focus on the high-tech, trade, finance, logistics and service and tourism industries, while the West Coastal Harbor Area will target the port and related industries like equipment, ship manufacturing, petrochemicals and steel.

The East Coastal Harbor Area, where a bonded logistics center and a processing section will be set up, will concentrate on the railway and bulk industries.

The zone enjoys a widespread transportation network, advantageous location and preferential policies, and is an ideal destination for investors from both home and abroad.

Investments worth 50 billion yuan are expected in the zone by the end of the 11th Five-Year Program period (2006-10) and the output value and the gross domestic product (GDP) are expected to reach 65 billion yuan and 16.5 billion yuan respectively by then.

With the ambitious plan of investing 100 billion yuan and having a GDP of 130 billion yuan by the end of 2015, the coastal harbor industrial zone is anticipated to be the driving force of the city of Dandong.

Favorable conditions

The authorities' confidence in the prosperous future of the zone lies in the city's favorable investment environment.

Embracing the Dandong Port and facing the Korean Peninsula across the Yalu River a boundary river between China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) the city provides quick transportation links between the peninsula and the vast hinterland in Northeast China.

With an advanced transportation network covering overseas shipping lines, international railways, multi-regional expressways and air routes, Dandong is fast becoming a regional commercial hub.

Statistics show that the current throughput of DPRK-oriented cargo at land and water ports in the city accounts for around 80 percent of the country's total DPRK-oriented freight volume.

Dandong's ecological environment also has great appeal for investors.

The city has 66 percent forest coverage and its per capita fresh water capacity is 4.5 and 1.5 times that of the average capacity of the province and the country respectively.

More than 50 reservoirs and 10 power plants are in operation across the city.

Dandong, as a key power industry base in the province, currently has a total installed power generation capacity of 2 million kilowatts, covering hydro, thermal and wind power.

In the next five years, this figure is expected to rise to 6 million kilowatts.

In addition to ample supply of water and electricity, Dandong is also endowed with rich mineral resources of about 56 varieties. The city also ranks first in the nation in terms of borax reserves and output.