Northeast poised to rejuvenate

Jiang Youwei, the vice-governor of Jilin. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Northeast China will undergo an industrial boom to compete with eastern provinces during the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20), senior officials said in Hainan province on Wednesday.

The boom will be led by developing the "Made in China 2025" pilot program and an upgraded service sector, according to the officials.

Northeast China comprises Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces.

The region was the country's top industrial hub in the 1970s before declining rapidly in the following decade, when it encountered difficulties in adapting to the structural reforms of the new market economy.

Jiang Youwei, the vice-governor of Jilin, said seeking new market growth points from the fast-growing service sector, including logistics and e-commerce businesses, can help the three northeastern provinces to optimize their resources to improve exports. This will also create more jobs and attract foreign investment.

Jilin is preparing to launch international freight train services from Changchun, the provincial capital, to Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, and major Russian cities in the next three years.

Aviation a priority

"Air cargo services from Changchun Longjia International Airport to the capitals or major cities in Russia, Mongolia and Japan will be available soon to transport high-end and high-tech products to consumers and manufacturers," Jiang said at the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference.

Pan Liguo, mayor of the Liaoning provincial capital Shenyang, said the province will give priority to developing aviation, railway and intelligent equipment in the next five years. It will also encourage innovation, talent cultivation and transformation of traditional industries.

Shenyang's work on a new China-Germany equipment park has helped the city to further diversify its development models from labor-intensive industry to more environmentally-related and intelligent manufacturing businesses.

To date, the park has attracted 35 German companies from various industries to build either factories or research and development centers.

Zhang Yansheng, secretary-general of the National Development and Reform Commission's Academic Committee, said the proportion of State-owned enterprises is higher in the northeast than in the majority of other provinces.

As a result, the region must accelerate SOE reforms to allow these companies to expand globally, modernize their management and become more innovative with increased trading activities through China's Belt and Road Initiative.