Du Ying says resource-rich cities have made tremendous contributions to China's economic development.
But he also notes their sacrifice, in many cases, has also been huge.
A study included in the new plan has also determined China's resource-exhausted cities, around 70 million square meters of shantytown areas need renovation, 600-thousand miners remain unemployed and over 1.8 million others are living on subsistence allowances.
Xu Hongcai, chief of budgeting with the Ministry of Finance, says the central government has plans to offer financial support and resource tax changes to help the cities grow sustainably.
"As we are pushing forward resource tax reforms, the resource-dependent cities will gain more income. As far as special transfer payments are concerned, we will offer more support in compensation for mine resources, and the distribution of the prospecting and mining rights."
The overall goal of the new plan involves the complete transformation of resource-exhausted cities by 2020.
For CRI, I'm Wu Yanping.