China United Network Communications Group Co Ltd, also known as China Unicom, parent company of the nation's second-largest telecom operator, will invest 2 billion yuan ($313 million) to set up a telecommunications data center and a call center in Northwest China's Shaanxi province.

The facilities will be China Unicom's biggest such centers in Northwest China, according to the company.

The facilities will be located in the province's Xixian New Area, an industrial park that lies between Xi`an and Xianyang, two of the province's most prosperous cities.

The company has invested 12 billion yuan in the Northwest province and is looking forward to expanding its investments, said Lu Yiming, the company's manager in Shaanxi province.

"The local government has provided us with supportive measures and a favorable business environment," Lu said. "We are optimistic about expansion."

According to Lu, the company will cooperate with the local government in high-technology projects, including the Internet of Things and cloud computing.

The coal-rich province aims to wean its economy off a heavy reliance on natural resources.

Located in China's interior, the province has benefited from industrial relocation, driven by rising labor costs in China's wealthy coastal provinces. It intends to close the gap in economic development with those areas by developing advanced industries such as the information industry.

"The modern information industry is one of the key industries we selected to accelerate the transformation of our model of economic development," said Vice-Governor Jiang Zelin.

"We will enhance our efforts to attract more investments (of the information industry) to the Xixian New Area," he said.