The State Council, China's Cabinet, on Wednesday announced a plan to boost coastal regions of east China's Jiangsu Province, where growth has long lagged behind some other parts of the booming province.

Coastal Jiangsu, led by cities of Lianyungang, Yancheng and Nantong, is an important part of the Yangtze River Delta, according to an executive meeting of the State Council, presided over by Premier Wen Jiabao.

Wednesday's plan is aiming to build the region into a traffic hub, a coastal industrial base, a good place to live as well as potential development zones as the area abounds in land reserves and mud flat.

The country would accelerate the development of the three leading cities, boost infrastructure such as power grid and transportation, raise the region's fishing output, and strengthen exploration of the muddy coast, partly by reclaiming land from the sea in a scientific way, according to the plan.

Lianyungang City is also the start point of the Europe-Asia rail line that goes through west China before finally reaching Rotterdam of the Netherlands.

Development of the region would help boost the country's less developed middle and western areas, and enhance cooperation with Central Asia, Europe and Northeast Asia, according to a statement issued after the meeting.

Meanwhile, another plan was issued to further develop the culture of China's ethnic minorities.

(Xinhua News Agency June 11, 2009)