Editor's note:

Xia Deren, Party Secretary of the Dalian Municipal Party Committee, recently gave an exclusive interview to China Daily reporters Zhu Chengpei and Zhang Xiaomin on the further development of Dalian - a core city of the Liaoning Coastal Economic Belt that was approved by the State Council in July and is now progressing in full swing.

Q: What is the significance of Dalian's leading role with the Liaoning Coastal Economic Belt Plan now a part of national strategy?