A 70,000-square-kilometer economic zone in Jilin province is set to become a new powerhouse in Northeast China, said local officials.

The Changjitu (Changchun, Jilin and Tumen River) economic zone includes Yanbian Korean autonomous prefecture and parts of Changchun and Jilin, two major cities in the province.

The zone offers the biggest opportunity to fuel the province's economic and social development since China launched its reform and opening up policy in the late 1970s, officials said.