Special Supplement: Pilot area set to boost opening-up in Jilin

Jilin, one of Northeast China's three provinces, is making preparations for the establishment of the Jilin-Changchun-Tumen (Jilin here is a city of Jilin Province) Opening-up Pilot Area to promote the integrated development of the three areas along the Tumen River.

This was announced by Cao Dawei, deputy director of the Jilin Provincial Development and Reform Commission, at the Northeast Asia Economic Cooperation Forum held during the 3rd China Jilin-Northeast Asia Investment and Trade Expo in September this year.

The Area

Located in the east-central part of Jilin Province, the Jilin-Changchun-Tumen Pilot Area consists of the cities of Jilin, Changchun and Tumen. It covers 30,000 sq km and has a combined population of 7.7 million.

The region is expected to be a pilot area for the development of new industries and ecological economy in Jilin Province, and will comprise various zones including Tumen International Free Trade Zone, Changbaishan-Jilin International Land-Port Zone, Interprovincial International Cooperation Industrial Zone, Modern Logistics Zone, Ecological Tourism Zone, and Modern Agriculture Demonstration Zone.

The area is designed to realize economic integration in Changchun-Jilin and Yanji-Longjing-Tumen within five to 10 years, and build Huichun into an international and modern city.

"We will adopt a new international cooperation pattern to promote the revitalization of the traditional industrial bases and provide more cooperation opportunities between inland and coastal cities," Cao said.

Cooperation with Northeast Asia, development of the Tumen area and revitalization of the northeastern region are the three focal points of the provincial government of Jilin.

Changchun, Jilin and Tumen must make full use of their advantages to promote cooperation between small regions and then expand it to include big regions as well. Bilateral economic relations will also be developed and promoted for multilateral cooperation, Cao noted.

Background

The decision for the development of the Jilin-Changchun-Tumen Pilot Area was prompted by instructions from top government authorities.

On January 28, 2007 President Hu Jintao paid an inspection visit to Jilin and suggested that the province choose some areas to take the lead in reform and scientific renovation during the period of revitalization of traditional industrial bases.

Premier Wen Jiabao visited the Republic of Korea (ROK) earlier this year and put forward a proposal for developing Sino-ROK win-win projects to lay a solid foundation for the Sino-ROK Free Trade Area.

In August, the Jilin Provincial Government reported to Premier Wen Jiabao about the Jilin-Changchun-Tumen Pilot Area. Gao Shangquan, president of China Society of Economic Reform, later paid a visit to Jilin for inspection of the project and approved it highly. Ma Kai, director of the National Development and Reform Commission, also showed great concern for the project.

Advantages

Changchun, Jilin and Tumen are located in the center of Northeast Asia.

Tumen River is the nearest waterway leading to the Sea of Japan. Huichun, a city close to Tumen, is 15 km away from the Sea of Japan, and bordered by a free trade zone and a free economy zone between Russia and ROK. Ten ports of Russia and ROK encircle Huichun as well.

The area has a good ecological environment and is rich in water resources, energy and minerals. There are also great cooperation opportunities in oil, gas, minerals, forest and aquatic products around Tumen.

Universities and scientific research institutes have strengthened the economic power of the area, while its automobile, chemical and grain processing industries play a crucial role in the country. The region's infrastructural construction has accelerated year by year.

The gross domestic product of the three provinces in Northeast China - Jilin, Heilongjiang and Liaoning - maintained an annual 12.6 percent increase from 2003 to 2006, 2.6 percentage points higher than the national average.

However, their less extensive opening-up to the outside world constrained the further revitalization of the Old Industrial Base in Northeast China. Cao believes that the Changchun-Jilin-Tumen Pilot Area will usher in the robust development of Jilin, and will ram up the development of southeastern Heilongjiang, Harbin-Daqing-Qiqihar region and eastern Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region as well.

(China Daily 10/31/2007 page15)