The State Council has approved upgrading a high-tech industrial zone to a national industrial development zone in Huainan city, Anhui province, according to a circular released on March 7.

The Huainan development zone will cover an area of 5.64 square kilometers, consisting of two regions. The specific boundaries will be announced by the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Land and Resources, and the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, the circular stated.

The zone should gather resources for scientific and technological innovations, enhance its capability for independent innovation, and promote mass innovation and entrepreneurship by creating a favorable ecosystem while cultivating new industries, business formats and modes to boost the quality and efficiency of traditional industries, according to the circular.

The zone was expected to become an important carrier for advancing technological progress and independent innovations, a powerful engine for driving regional economic restructuring and transformation of development mode, and a frontier of new and high technologies around the world.

The circular also urged the zone to strictly implement the overall plan for land use and urban development, go through approval procedures, and supply land according to law.

Related departments should strengthen leadership and management of the zone and explore a sound ecosystem to speed up its development, the circular said.