Heilongjiang free trade zone to help reinvigorate northeast

The newly established China (Heilongjiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone will undertake more market-oriented reforms to reinvigorate the country's northeastern region and deepen trade ties with partners participating in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), senior officials said on Friday.

They gave the remarks after the State Council selected six newly established free trade zones in regions that include Heilongjiang, Jiangsu and Shandong, as well as the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. They would facilitate the opening-up of their economies and boost high-quality development through deeper and intensive reforms.

Heilongjiang borders Russia and the zone will help China improve trade ties with neighboring countries by transforming the region into a major logistics hub to support developments relating to the BRI, said Heilongjiang's Party secretary Zhang Qingwei.