Liaoning set to play bigger role as key trade hub

Liaoning province aims to develop itself into a hub of Northeast Asian cooperation, deeply integrating with the Belt and Road Initiative and playing a greater role in connecting domestic and international markets, Hao Peng, Party secretary of Liaoning, told China Daily.

Hao, who is also a deputy to the 14th National People's Congress, said Liaoning has made great efforts to implement the spirit of President Xi Jinping's important speeches on promoting the full revitalization of Northeast China in the new era.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, emphasized the need to improve the level of opening-up and cooperation domestically and internationally during a visit to Heilongjiang province in September.

Northeast China is an important gateway for the country's northward opening-up, and its strategic position and role in strengthening regional cooperation in Northeast Asia and the interplay between domestic and international markets are increasingly prominent, Xi said.

Hao noted that Liaoning has made progress in deepening economic and trade cooperation with countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, with three achievements being included in the list of outcomes for the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.

Commodities made in Liaoning have been exported to more than 200 countries and regions. The province has handled the largest volume of China-Europe freight train services in Northeast China.

Breakthroughs have been made in attracting investment, Hao said, with major foreign-funded projects such as the BMW Brilliance manufacturing unit having made important progress. He added that the province's foreign investment in actual use amounted to $3.38 billion in 2023.

Located in the core region of the Northeast Asian Economic Circle, Liaoning has the geographical advantage of being connected by both land and sea, and it stands as a key gateway linking the Eurasian land bridge.

The province will continuously deepen exchanges and cooperation with Japan, South Korea, Russia and Mongolia, and strengthen economic ties with Europe, the United States and Southeast Asia, as well as Central and West Asia, Hao said, adding that it will enhance its participation and influence in the opening-up process and formulate a series of "Liaoning models" in areas such as trade investment and industrial cooperation.

Liaoning will attract and utilize foreign capital with greater intensity, and facilitate the establishment of iconic foreign-funded projects, he said.

The province will upgrade major platforms with international influence, including the China (Liaoning) Pilot Free Trade Zone, and support Shenyang, the provincial capital, in creating a national airport economy demonstration zone, he said.

It is also supporting Shenyang in building a national China-Europe freight train assembly center and promoting the construction of the Northeast Asia International Shipping Center in Dalian, he added.