East China's Shandong Province's investment fixed assets will top 235 billion yuan (2.83 billion US dollars) for the year, a 14 percent rise over 1998.

The spending focuses on energy, communications, agriculture, forestry, water conservancy, urban infrastructure, and affordable housing construction.

This year the province will add 3,500 km of road, 4.65 million tons to the handling capacity of local ports, 650,000 kw to the installed capacity of local power plants, and 1.96 million lines to the handling capacity of local telephone switchboards.

China's central government invested in Shandong a total of 15.1 billion yuan (1.8 billion US dollars) from January to October this year.

Since the beginning of the year, Shandong has completed more than 20 major projects involving the construction of expressways, airports, railways, power plants and automotive parts companies.