34 BEIJING REVIEW APRIL 20, 2017 http://www.bjreview.com
Golden Chance
For Prosperity
The northeastís partnership with more developed
regions will aid its revival By Zhou Xiaoyan & Wen Qing
C
hinaís northeastern region, once the
nationís heavy industry hub, has suf-
fered stagnant economic development
since the late 1990s. Regional economic
performance, although greatly improved in
2016, remains less than satisfactory, and
revival of the regionís three provincesó
Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiangóstill has a
long way to go.
In late March, the State Council, Chinaís
cabinet, unveiled a fresh move aimed at buff-
ing up this region. One-on-one partnerships
are to be established between the three
provinces and three economically developed
provinces in east and south China, as well as
between four northeastern cities and four
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According to the plan, provincial partner-
ships will be set up between Liaoning and
Jiangsu, Jilin and Zhejiang, and Heilongjiang
and Guangdong; while pair-up coopera-
tion will be created between the cities of
Shenyang (Liaoning) and Beijing, Dalian
(Liaoning) and Shanghai, Changchun (Jilin)
and Tianjin, and Harbin (Heilongjiang) and
Shenzhen in Guangdong. The work plan
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of institutional innovation, industrial re-
structuring, boosting entrepreneurship and
building cooperation platforms.
As part of a broader strategy to revitalize
the northeast, this new plan is a policy inno-
vation, as it aims to coordinate development
and create benefits for both the northeast
and its more developed partners instead of
simply providing one-way assistance or pov-
erty alleviation. Under the plan, exchanges
and regular training of officials will play a
significant role in emancipating northeast-
ern residentsí mindset to embrace market
economy concepts.
BUSINESS
An innovative move
Zhou Jianping, Director of the Department
of Northeastern Region Revitalization at
the National Development and Reform
Commission (NDRC), described the partner-
ships as examples of enclave economies,
a development pattern which aims to
coordinate economic development and
complement resources through inter-
regional management and cooperation.
ìIt is based on the evaluation of the re-
sources, industrial foundations, development
levels and present cooperation arrange-
ments in involved provinces and cities,î he
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which took place in Beijing on March 21.
According to the NDRC, the northeastern
region boasts abundant natural resources, a
good industrial foundation, strong capabili-
ties in science and technology, and huge
room for development. The eastern and
southern provinces and cities, meanwhile,
have a more mature market economy sys-
tem, in addition to abundant capital and
buoyant private enterprises.
ìTherefore, they are complementary
in many fields. Under this new partner-
ship model, governments can voluntarily
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cooperation,î said Zhou, adding that the
partnerships are not exclusive and other re-
gions are welcome to join in.
According to the new work plan, the
concrete measures include the temporary
assignment of provincial officials with rich ex-
perience and knowledge of market economy
principles from the east and south of the
country to the northeast, and regular training
sessions for civil servants and employees of
enterprises. Such steps are vital for transform-
ing planned economy thinking into a marketeconomy mindset so that the northeast can
become more competitive and innovative. They
will also provide more opportunities for people
in the northeast to acquire advanced ideas and
business formats, including about the govern-
mentís role in social and economic affairs, which
could help spur local development.
Successful industrial demonstration
parks in eastern and southern provinces
and cities are encouraged to establish
branches in the northeast to introduce ad-
vanced experience, professional managers