The State Council has approved the Progress of Invigorating Old Industrial Bases in Northeast China in 2010 and Priorities of Work in 2011 (hereinafter abbreviated as Priorities of Work), which was drawn up by the National Development and Reform Commission. Accordingly, government bodies will give priorities and policy supports to Dandong for key projects of the city in the 12th Five-Year Plan period and its long-term development in the fields of infrastructures, social undertakings, industrial restructuring and upgrading and regional cooperation.

Recent debates on postponing high-speed rail network construction in China have not affected the construction of Shenyang-Dandong and Dandong-Dalian high-speed rails. The Priorities of Work points out to carry on the "construction projects in process, including the Shenyang-Dandong high-speed rail."

It is Dandong's priority to adjust its industrial structure during the 12th Five-Year Plan period to become a regional logistics center and a high-end concentrated service zone. The Priorities of Work requires "speeding up developing manufacturing-based service industry and tourism industry."

The city has mapped out and implemented the Northeast China Logistics Development Plan and the Northeast China Tourism Development Plan to promote inter-provincial tourism cooperation, and to establish famous tourism lines and brands at home and abroad.

Regional cooperation in the eastern part of northeast China, initiated by Dandong, will be brought into the national priority list. The Priorities of Work stresses to "deepen cooperation among the four provinces and one autonomous region in the northeast China to promote the regional economic development."

Dandong will strive to integrate the planning of tourism, transportation, and water conservancy in the region. The Priorities of Work can help complement each other's disadvantages in the region and to boost common prosperity.

The document also emphasizes to "take the Northeast Asia regional cooperation as a carrier to construct a new opening-up pattern." Business talents training programs and more talents exchanges and communications will also be held among the region and Japan, the ROK and Russia to accelerate the regional economic and technological cooperation.

Edited by Chen Zhilin and Tania Lee