petroleum drilling, cotton production, mining machinery, synthetic fibers, television sets
The Chinese government regards the iron and steel industry as the foundation for further industrial development, and the government has assigned it priority in China since 1949. In 1996 China produced 101 million metric tons of steel, ranking first in the world. The country manufactures a great variety of steel products, including tungsten steels, stainless steels, heavy steel plates, and seamless pipes. Northeast China, North China, and the Yangtze Valley are the main producing areas.
In addition to iron and steel, China's heavy industries include shipbuilding and the manufacture of locomotives, tractors, mining machinery, power-generating equipment, petroleum drilling and refining machinery, and petrochemicals. Petrochemical plants are found in most provinces and autonomous regions, and products include synthetic fibers, plastics, and pharmaceuticals. A unique feature of the Chinese petrochemical industry is the widespread presence of small nitrogenous fertilizer factories that use a production technique developed in China.
The Chinese textile industry is the largest in the world. It includes the weaving of cotton, wool, linen, silk, and chemical fibers; cloth printing and dyeing; and knitting and clothing manufacture. Since the beginning of the reforms, cotton production has increased dramatically to supply a growing textile industry. New cotton-textile mills have been constructed in the cotton-growing areas of Hubei, Hunan, Hebei, and Shaanxi provinces.
Other important manufactures produced in China include cement, paper and paperboard, television sets, bicycles, sewing machines, washing machines, refrigerators, and motor vehicles.
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