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Zhejiang to spend $145b on 'major tasks'

ezhejiang.gov.cn| Updated: March 20, 2017 L M S

East China's Zhejiang province plans to invest more than one trillion yuan ($145 billion) on 921 major projects to boost the region's economy and improve the lives of local residents in 2017, the provincial government has announced.

The projects are designed to support Zhejiang's economy in a number of different areas, from improving infrastructure and supporting strategic emerging industries to developing rural areas and improving social services.

A significant chunk of the investment will be used to fund the province's ongoing push to upgrade local industry and nurture emerging high-tech sectors, with projects covering modern services, advanced manufacturing, modern agriculture, information technology, health, tourism, finance and culture set to receive investment.

Constructing business incubators and "characteristic towns", developments designed to create a hub of companies from a specific industry, will be a key method of achieving these goals, according to the announcement.

Infrastructure is another key priority, with projects to further improve the region's transportation, energy, water conservancy and communications networks slated for 2017. Zhejiang plans to construct 1,500 kilometers of railway, 1,000 kilometers of highway and 500 kilometers of inland waterways, and upgrade 1,400 kilometers of national and provincial roads by the end of the year.

The province will also invest to narrow the gap between urban and rural areas. Projects aiming to improve facilities in cities, towns and villages have been "taken into consideration", according to the announcement.

Zhejiang also has detailed investment plans for further resettlement housing, renovating dilapidated houses, improving care for senior citizens and upgrading local reservoirs, the announcement states.