Tianjin, The largest port city in north China, plans to develop its hi-tech industries in the new year as a means of promoting its economy.

Municipal government officials said that the city will place emphasis on electronic information, bio-engineering, modern medicine and new energy so that these sectors could turn out an output value of 86 billion yuan (about US$ 10.36 billion) by the end of this year, up 20 percent over last year.

The government hopes that hi-tech businesses will become a driving force behind the local economy, and that 23.5 percent of the city's total industrial output value will come from the sector, the officials said.