BEIJING - Chinese authorities have approved Ningbo, a coastal city in East China's Zhejiang province, as the first pilot area for the "Made in China 2025" plan.

The decision will enable Ningbo to experiment and explore new models for manufacturing, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) said at a press conference on Thursday.

The move came as the government works to shift the country away from low-end manufacturing to more value-added production.

Tasks identified as priorities in the "Made in China 2025" plan are innovation, fostering Chinese brands, green manufacturing, integrating technology and industry, internationalizing manufacturing, restructuring, service-oriented manufacturing, and strengthening the industrial base.