Provincial authorities will channel more resources into Jiangsu's less developed areas to better coordinate social and economic development over the next five years, acting governor Luo Zhijun said on Friday.

Luo made the remark in his work report to the first session of the 11th provincial people's congress.

The province is divided in two by the Yangtze, forming north Jiangsu and south Jiangsu.

Official figures have shown north Jiangsu accounts for just a fifth of the province's total GDP, despite its greater area and population.

"Since 2003, the provincial government has given full support to north Jiangsu and made great progress in our goal of coordinated development between the two parts," Luo said.

A total of 156.5 billion yuan ($21.7 billion) has been invested in north Jiangsu, he said.

Apart from financial support, cities in south Jiangsu, including Suzhou, Wuxi, Changzhou and Nanjing, have also provided personnel and technological assistance to northern cities.

Over the past five years, a dozen industrial parks have been constructed in the north with help from management and technical experts from the south.

Altogether, 9,729 projects with a total value of 364.4 billion yuan have been transferred from the southern region, Luo said.

As a result, economic growth in north Jiangsu has surpassed that of south Jiangsu during the period.

"Our efforts have paid off, but the differences between the two areas are still huge," Luo said.

The provincial government will implement more policies and provide more financial support for the north in the next five years, he said.

In addition, plans have been made to enhance industries and optimize the allocation of resources to aid north Jiangsu's development, Luo said.

As well as receiving support from the provincial government and southern cities, local governments in the north have vowed to do their part.

Zhao Peng, Yancheng Party secretary and a deputy to the congress, said: "We have our advantages and will make use of them to develop the local economy."

Yancheng is the largest city in the province and known for being rich in resources, such as its natural environment, deep harbor and tourist attractions.

"Our blueprint for the next five years includes combining industry and tourism to build our city into an ecologically friendly one," Zhao said.

Yongzhong, mayor of Lianyungang, a city at the northern tip of the province, said: "We will achieve coordinated development by restructuring our industrial sectors."

The city will focus on the development of its port and service industry through technological innovation and upgrading and attracting more overseas investment, he said.

(China Daily January 29, 2008)