"We hope to get policy support from the central government as what some south Chinese economic zones enjoyed in 1990's," Mayor of Taiyuan told reporters Friday.

"The central government have taken so much from here, that some of our economic incensement was transferred to the south," Zhang Bingsheng complained before a group of Internet media reporters invited to promote the image of the Northern Chinese province.

Taiyuan, an ancient city with 2500-year-old history, is the capital city of Shanxi Province, China's biggest coal production base.

With 94 per cent of the province's railway capacity used to transport coals to support China's soaring economy, the province itself lacks in overall development.

But Zhang is confident in leading his city to be "the core area of China's Yellow River economic band".

"The blueprint we're drawing out for Taiyuan's development will be closely related to China's energy safety strategy," Zhang said. "Energy industry will go on to play a major role in our plan."

But Zhang will not allow an easy coal production rise. What he wants is a stronger coal processing industry, which produce cleaner energy.

Another ongoing project which Zhang feel proud of is carried out by the Taiyuan Iron&Steel Group, one of China's leading steel producers. "We're building world's biggest stainless steel factory here," Zhang said.

The city's plan to further augment tourist industry may also turn out to be something the world would care.

"We are preparing the excavation of the ancient Jinyang city," Zhang said. "The relics may be as spectacular as the Terracotta Warriors, if all goes on as what we've expected."

The Terracotta Warriors, discovered from underground in neighboring Shaanxi in late 1970's, is considered to be one of a few human miracles throughout Chinese history.

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