Environmental protection top priority of Yangtze River

In terms of innovation, the official said spending on research and development will account for 2.5 percent of the economic belt's GDP by 2020 and it will be home to a group of world-class companies and industries.

Three "poles of economic growth" will be formed along the river, including the delta, city clusters along the central course and the Chengdu-Chongqing economic zone, located in the upper reaches.

The urbanization rate of the region's population will be 60 percent by 2020, while the quality and efficiency of its economy will be substantially improved.

By 2030, an innovative, modern industrial system will be fully incorporated and integrated along the river, making the economic belt a "strategic support" for national economic and social development, the official said.