DALIAN, Dec. 3 (Xinhuanet) -- Dalian has been successful in the transition from an old industrial economy to a modern industrial city, said visiting British Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State John Prescott here Friday.

    Prescott made the remark in a meeting with Wang Chengmin, vice mayor of Dalian, a city in Liaoning Province famous for cleanness and vigor in the northeast China industrial rustbelt.

    Northeast China, comprising Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces, is China's biggest and earliest heavy industry base. Itbegan to lag behind other areas in the 1990s due to bloated state-owned enterprises and depleted resources.

    In 2003, the central government set up an agenda of reviving the old industrial base, planning to invest more than 60 billion yuan (7.2 billion US dollars) in the region.

    Prescott said many cities in northern Britain, like those in northeast China, are trying to shift from coal- or steel-based economies to new industrial cities. Dalian shows a good example ofthe transition, and will lead the whole area's transition to new industries, he said.

    Wang said Dalian expects more cooperation with Britain, especially in shipping business.

    There are 71 Britain-invested projects in Dalian, most of whichare in the fields of manufacturing, trade and service industry. Contractual investment is 430 million US dollars, and actual investment 158 million US dollars. Enditem