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1st Ld: China to revitalize northeast rustbelt

Xinhua, April 26, 2016 Adjust font size:

China will rejuvenate its northeast rustbelt region through more reforms and economic restructuring, according to a policy document released Tuesday.

State-owned enterprises (SOEs) will be restructured, private firms will receive more support and regional cooperation will drive development, according to the document jointly published by the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the State Council.

The region's equipment manufacturing sector will be modernized, and high-end industries, the modern service sector and modern agriculture will all be supported, it said.

The northeast, including Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces, was among the first regions in China to become industrialized. Its traditional industries include steel, automobile, shipbuilding, aircraft manufacturing and petroleum refining.

However, this once robust industrial base is bearing the brunt of a more-acute slowdown than the rest of the country, trailing well behind in terms of GDP growth.

Expediting the revitalization of the northeast, a major "pole" of China's economic growth, is a significant part of the country's modernization drive and overall economic restructuring, the document added.

The renewed action plan is reminiscent of a revitalization strategy rolled out by the central government in 2003, including a slew of supportive measures specially designed for the region.

The document, "Certain Opinions Regarding the Comprehensive Revival of Old Industrial Bases Including the Northeast," called the new strategy a "major policy for the new century," adding that this period would be crucial for reviving the region.

The region is experiencing growing downward pressure on growth while SOEs are lacking in vitality, according to the document.

By 2020, industries in recession and regions with dwindling resources should have transformed their growth patterns.

The region should have achieved medium-high growth, and should have met the target of building a moderately prosperous society by 2020, the document said.

In another ten years, northeast China should become the manufacturing base for advanced equipment and a strategic base for technological equipment. The region should become synonymous with new raw materials, modern agriculture and innovation. Endi