China unveiled a plan to promote high-quality development in resource-rich regions during the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) period on Nov 12, according to the country's top economic regulator.

The new plan, jointly released by the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Natural Resources, requires pushing forward the high-quality development of resource-rich regions while stimulating innovation potential, improving systems and mechanisms, and enhancing weak links in people's well-being.

By 2025, resource-rich regions will witness stronger capabilities in safeguarding resources and energy security as well as an increase in economic strength. A modern industrial system led by innovation, accelerated transformation and diversified development will be basically established.

By 2035, resource-rich regions will meet the high-quality development targets in terms of safeguarding resources, promoting a vibrant economy, beautiful ecological environment and people's happy life.

Steps to achieve the goals were mapped out in the plan, such as strengthening the planning of surveys, evaluation, exploration, exploitation of the strategic mineral resources and establishing a safe and reliable reserve, supply and system for resources and energy.

Under the plan, the nation will make a big push to arrange a number of energy resource bases and planned national mining areas, implement the mineral resource reserve project, build a strategic mineral reserve system and strengthen the exploration of strategic mineral resources such as oil, natural gas, copper, chromium, tungsten, rare earths and crystalline graphite.

More efforts will also be made to boost technological innovation, foster transformative growth, accelerate the construction of 5G, cloud computing, big data centers and spur the growth of new materials, new energy, energy saving and environmental protection, high-end equipment manufacturing and other strategic emerging industries.