BEIJING - The State Council, or China's cabinet, has approved a plan to establish an advanced industrial base in coastal cities near Beijing.

The economic development plan covers the coastal cities of Qinghuangdao, Tangshan, and Cangzhou in north China's Hebei province. The region's industrial infrastructure, advanced traffic and rich cultural legacy give it great potential to boost the development of Hebei's coastal economy, the National Development and Reform Commission said Thursday in a statement on its website.

The statement said the plan will stress the importance of environmental and ecological protection and the efficient use of resources.

The strategic position of the base will allow it to become a new engine for growth in the regions surrounding the Bohai Sea and serve as an expansion of industries in the nearby cities of Beijing and Tianjin, the statement said.