Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has called for the adoption of new ideas, mechanisms and methods in restructuring the traditional industrial bases in northeast China.

Reinvigorating the industrial bases is an essential part of the reform and opening-up drive in northeast China, and is of great importance for the nation's coordinated economic and social development, Wen said during an inspection tour from Aug. 1 to 3 in Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces.

The need to accelerate the restructuring of the traditional bases had been reiterated at the 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), especially efforts to ensure local comprehensive development by the exploitation of natural resources, Wen said.

To regenerate the industrial bases in northeast China is a strategic decision made by the CPC Central Committee with a view to building of a society nationwide in which people will live a fairly comfortable life, Wen added.

He said that priority should be given to further emancipating ideas, increasing reform efforts, opening wider, continuing market-oriented mechanism, sticking to self-dependence and introducing new technologies, in the efforts to remold the traditional heavy industrial bases.

(Xinhua News Agency August 5, 2003)