The Regional Plan for the Yangtze River Delta has been approved by China's State Council, or cabinet, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China's top economic planner, said Monday.

According to the plan, the Yangtze River Delta will be developed into a key international gateway for the Asia-Pacific region, an important global center for the modern service industry and advanced manufacturing industry, as well as a world-class cluster of cities.

It is expected that the area will lead the way in realizing modernization on the whole by 2020.

The Yangtze River Delta is made up of Shanghai and the provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, covering an area of 210,700 square kilometers.

The Yangtze River Delta possesses an advantageous location, excellent natural resources, solid economic foundations, and has become one of the country's most economically competitive regions, the NDRC said.