The first new and high-tech industrial belt in western China was recently launched in southwest China's Sichuan Province.

The string of facilities consists of six state technical centers, seven key state laboratories, and 22 universities and research institutes in Chengdu and the cities of Mianyang and Deyang, all connected by a 100-kilometer-long expressway.

The belt, noted for electronic information, biology, new materials, space science, and laser and nuclear development, produced 40 billion yuan of industrial output value in 1998.

Under a government plan, the belt will take advantage of its superiority to conduct regional cooperation, upgrade existing industries, and develop an export-oriented economy. By 2005, it should be able to increase its pre-tax income to 20 billion yuan by strengthening market competitiveness and developing new products.