Investments by private enterprises can resuscitate Northeast China

NORTHEAST CHINA, the country's rust belt, has recently seen a batch of investments by big companies. China Daily writer Li Yang comments:

The big names include BMW, Intel and Alibaba. It is the first time in nearly three decades that the region has grabbed the attention of large enterprises. All of a sudden, it seems to have regained its appeal as an investment destination after experiencing decades of economic and social stagnation since the early 1990s.

Although the central government has vowed to revitalize the region since the start of the millennium, the region has not shown many signs of renewal. The migration of its working age population and low birth rate compounded the region's woes by accelerating the aging of the local population.