Guangdong's Zhanjiang targets doubling of GDP by 2017
Zhanjiang officials also plan to accelerate construction on a steel hub and a second airport, as well as extend the city's highway network and build a high-speed railway.
An underdeveloped port city in Guangdong has vowed to double its gross domestic product by 2017 and triple its size within five years.
It will achieve this largely by speeding up construction on one of the world's largest petrochemical plants, finishing it by 2015 amid environmental concerns.
Zhanjiang officials also plan to accelerate construction on a steel hub and a second airport, as well as extend the city's highway network and build a high-speed railway.
Speaking at a press conference on the sidelines of the Guangdong provincial People's Congress's plenary session yesterday, Zhanjiang Mayor Wang Zhongbing said the city must strive to bring its GDP growth on par with the national average, as quickly as possible.
"This is a new target set by [Guangdong party] secretary Hu Chunhua during an earlier visit," Wang said. "With steel and petrochemical projects that will be completed in five years, our GDP will be doubled."
The city's GDP last year stood at 190 billion yuan (HK$234 billion), according to Zhanjiang's 2013 government work report.