The port mainly transports resources such as iron ore and coal for steel companies and power plants. The annual turnover volume of iron ore is about 18 million tons, more than half of which comes from foreign countries, including Malaysia and Indonesia, according to Zhao.

In 2011, the port had a total turnover volume of 116 million tons, with coal accounting for roughly 100 million tons.

Shenhua Group Co, China's biggest coal mining and trading company, built its own port in Huanghua because of the area's convenience for coal producing regions such as Shanxi and Inner Mongolia.

The company's completed first- and second-phase coal ports have a combined annual capacity of 70 million tons.

Construction of the group's third coal port, which has a capacity of 50 million tons, was completed in late November, raising the port's annual turnover of coal by 50 percent.

"As an important exit point for coal, the completion of the third phrase of the port will help to ensure the supply of fuel for power plants in southern China," Zhao said.

Construction of the fourth phase is scheduled for completion by the end of 2014, which will make Huanghua China's biggest coal port, according to Liu Fengliang, head of the production management center of Shenhua Huanghua Port Co.

"There are 1,700 sq km of land available for use in the port area at Cangzhou. That's attracted a lot of investors to the area," said Zhang Yong, a local government official.

At present, China Petroleum and Chemical Corp, China National Petroleum Corp and China National Offshore Oil Corp all have refining projects under construction, with a combined annual capacity of 21 million tons.

"We provide supportive policies to attract more investors," said Chen Tailong, director of Cangzhou Bohai New Area Management Committee Office.

He added that the projects currently under construction or discussion will require total capital of 901.3 billion yuan.

In Cangzhou, the major industries include petrochemicals, equipment manufacturing, new materials, new energy and logistics.

To attract more investors from home and abroad, the local government will invest 200 million yuan and provide around 67 hectares of land to build 10 national laboratories for research and development into industrial upgrading in different sectors.

"We hope that investors will discover opportunities and have the confidence to open their businesses here," said Chen. "As a local government, we try to provide better services to attract talent and to ensure they can always find a place in the industrial chain to make a profit or display their abilities."

In addition to economic development, Cangzhou is also working hard to build an eco-city, with 28 sq km of parks and woodlands.

The forest coverage has risen to 43.7 percent. That's equal to some of the best neighborhoods in San Francisco, the city in which Sun Yat-sen spent years preparing to change China, and where his statue still stands today.

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