The Rare Earth High-tech Industrial Development Zone – located in Baotou city, in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region – recently signed off on 21 projects with 21 companies that will cost a total of 17.63 billion yuan ($2.61 billion).

The projects involve major sectors, including six equipment manufacturing industry projects with an agreed investment of 13.55 billion yuan and three new energy industry projects costing 740 million yuan.

There are also nine rare earth new materials and applications industry projects costing 3.21 billion yuan, a service industry project involving investment of 130 million yuan, a 70-million-yuan big data industry project and an energy conservation and environmental protection industry project costing 100 million yuan.

They are collectively expected to inject new vitality and provide new support for the zone, to promote its top-flight development.

"Since the establishment of the projects, the zone government and relevant departments have given support to enterprises in terms of policy guidance, process sorting guidance and business handling – so that enterprises can fully benefit from the good policies and services of the zone," said Wang Jiping, chairman of Baotou Andrex New Material Co, which is based in the zone.