Industrial sector on Chinese mainland turns competitive

BEIJING - In the early 1980s, a steam turbine factory in inland China was on the brink of bankruptcy, forcing its workers to produce kitchen knives to survive.

The factory now has turned into one of the world's largest manufacturers of power generators, with its products and services exported to nearly 80 countries and regions.

The secret behind the transition, said Xu Peng, deputy general manager of Dongfang Electric Corporation, was the company's relentless efforts in research and development.