BEIJING, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- China on Monday urged more efforts to push forward the rejuvenation of the country's northeast and other traditional industrial bases.

    Great progress has been made in the regions since China launched the rejuvenation move more than five years ago, said attendees at a meeting of the leading group of the State Council, the Cabinet, for revitalizing the northeast and other old industrial bases.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (L Back) presides over a meeting of the leading group of the State Council (Cabinet) for revitalizing the old industrial bases in northeast China and other regions, in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 17, 2009. China on Monday called for more efforts to push forward the rejuvenation of the northeast and other traditional industrial bases. (Xinhua/Li Xueren) Photo Gallery>>>

    The rejuvenation strategy of old industrial bases mainly covers regions including Liaoning, Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces and the northeastern parts of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

    The northeast is a major base of grain production, heavy industry and energy resources in China. Many cities in the regions face developing challenge as their energy resources are depleted and heavy industries face the burden of restructuring.

    The meeting, chaired by Premier Wen Jiabao, agreed more efforts should be spent in the regions to optimize economic structure, promote the development of modern industries, and speed up infrastructure construction, especially some major energy, transport and water conservation projects.

    Great importance should be attached to promoting innovation and technological progress in enterprises and work should be urged to develop modern agriculture as well as grain production, transportation and storage to secure the national grain reserve base.

    The meeting also called for efforts to tackle issues emerging from the transformation of resources-oriented cities, eco-environmental conservation, improvement of people's livelihood, regional economic cooperation and state-owned enterprise reform.