Using the area's rich agricultural resources, Dezhou's bio-industries have grown rapidly to earn the city a place among the country's key centers in the field, as rated by the National Development and Reform Commission, the nation's top economic planning agency.

In the first half of this year, the biologics sector reported a sales revenue of 17.8 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 45.7 percent.

"The government is committed to making the biological sector a pillar of the local economy and making Dezhou a model city in biological engineering in China within 10 to 15 years," said Wu Cuiyun, mayor of the city.

Home to more than 300 biologics businesses, Dezhou now ranks top in China.

Last year the output value of the sector totaled 30 billion yuan, including 23 billion yuan generated from the manufacturing enterprises, according to Wu.

The city's low polyxylose production ranks first in the world and xylitol production ranks first in Asia.

Its annual production of polyols is now 900,000 tons, accounting for more than 80 percent of domestic output and 35 percent of international production.