BEIJING -?The government has approved a plan to rejuvenate the economy of northeast China by 2015.

The northeastern region, once a leading industrial hub, will be built into an internationally competitive base for equipment manufacturing, raw materials and energy supplies, according to a statement from the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China's top economic planning body.

The region, which includes the provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning, will also be built into an important base for agriculture and animal husbandry, according to the NDRC.

The government also aims to build the region into a key gateway between China and northeast Asia, the statement said.