BEIJING, March 15 -- China will promote the high-quality development of state-level new areas, making them new highlands of reform and opening-up, according to an action plan released by the top economic planner on Friday.

The country now has 19 state-level new areas, including Pudong New Area, Xiong'an New Area and Binhai New Area, said the National Development and Reform Commission.

In 2023, the gross domestic product of the 19 regions reached 6.2 trillion yuan (about 873.55 billion U.S. dollars), accounting for 5 percent of the total nationwide, according to the commission.

Measures will be taken to enhance the sci-tech and industrial competitiveness of the state-level new areas, including promoting cross-regional high-level coordinated innovation, as well as smart manufacturing and digital transformation, the plan states.

Efforts will also be made to introduce more investment projects to the state-level new areas in an innovative manner and cultivate new forms of consumption, it states.

Also in the plan are measures to support the state-level new areas to deepen reforms in key fields, including making it easier to introduce talents, improving the efficiency of land use and enhancing financial support for the regions.