The Changji Industrial Development and Innovation Zone, located between the city of Changchun, capital of Jilin province and the city of Jilin, got a basalt-fiber factory with an annual output capacity of 30,000 tons in June.

This will be the world's largest high-strength fiber production site and is scheduled for a trial run by the end of this year.

Basalt fiber, a green industrial raw material, has attracted global attention after being applied in a number of fields with the same performance as ordinary carbon fiber, but a price is just 10 percent that of the ordinary fiber, giving it good market prospects.

Its use in the auto industry could bring about huge changes, according to the person in charge of the project. So far, Russia is the most advanced country in the field with cars that use basalt fiber for many parts, while several auto manufacturers, such as Benz, BMW, and GM, have tried to use it. The spokesman also said that Jilin has done a lot to bring in new technology from Russia and is using some of its best space for the project, with preferential policies.

Automobiles are the leading industry in Jilin and the application of this fiber is expected to boost the industry. The project is a joint effort of the Jilin branch of Foryou Corp, an auto electronics giant with HQ in Guangdong province, and the Russian government, at a cost of 805 million yuan ($130 million), and an estimated total output worth 1.5 billion yuan by 2016.