Jilin Special Jilin Crucial to expanded northeast

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The Changchun-Jilin-Tumen Pilot Zone approved by the State Council in August will put Jilin province at the forefront of increasing economic links in northeast Asia, said a top provincial official.
With the implementation of the plan, Jilin is expected to become an important bridge between northeast China and the entire northeast Asian region, according to Zhao Zhenqi,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], the assistant to the governor of Jilin province.
Zhao said that the plan is the biggest opportunity for Jilin since China began its reform and opening-up some 30 years ago and it is also an important sign that the province is entering a new period of development.
The plan is a follow-up on a Tumen area development program sponsored by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) that started in the 1990s.
The Tumen area, encompassing the border regions of China, Russia and North Korea, was the site of a comprehensive UNDP program to strengthen economic cooperation among northeast Asian countries including Japan, South Korea and Mongolia.
Yet the scheme was not fully implemented in the entire region.
A well-prepared Jilin
Despite those limitations,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], Jilin - which is at the center of northeast Asia - continues preparations for expanded ties following a central government strategy developed early this decade to revitalize aging industrial bases in northeast China.
Zhao said Jilin's preparedness is illustrated by the substantial improvement in infrastructure in Changchun, Jilin City and Tumen.
The length of expressways in the province has already surpassed 1,000 km, with much of it built in pilot zone areas.
Other facilities like Longjia Airport and Changbai Mountains Airport and the inter-city railway linking Changchun and Jilin City have been completed.
In addition, construction of inland ports in Changchun and Jilin City is mostly finished and land-sea routes connecting China's Hunchun, Russia's Zarubino, South Korea's Sokcho and Japan's Niigata are operational.
"Actually,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], the Changchun-Jilin-Tumen Pilot Zone development scheme has gone far beyond the stage of planning. It is a program in implementation," Zhao said.
More measures in place
And more programs for the development of the Changchun-Jilin-Tumen River Pilot Zone will be adopted, according to Zhao.
He said one of the measures proposed by the provincial government is the establishment of an integrated bonded area and a cross-border economic cooperation zone with preferential policies offered by both central and local governments.
Construction of roads, railways,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], ports and other infrastructure projects will be further strengthened to establish a rapid and convenient transportation network, he said. Special emphasis will be placed on the consolidation of existing land-sea transport routes that link with the rest of northeast Asia.
The government's plans also call for new industrial bases with both core competitiveness and local characteristics.
Developing an effective process for yet further international cooperation is also on the government agenda.
Plans envisioned include more industrial parks, development zones and border trade zones. The provincial government also expects the annual Northeast Asia Investment and Trade Expo to play an increasingly important role in promoting regional economic cooperation.
Construction has also begun on eight other key projects in the region including the Tumen international free trade zone as well as industrial parks for logistics, modern manufacturing, tourism and modern agriculture.
Local authorities said they expect further improvements in financial services, especially international finance, and in research and development (R&D) to meet requirements of businesses that want to invest in the region.
"We have noted that startup businesses have strong demands for fund-raising guarantees and venture capital, as well as R&D outsourcing services. These are the sectors that our government will give stronger-than-ever support,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych]," Zhao said.
Zhao also said various governments in the region have already proposed their own plans.
The Yanbian Korean autonomous prefecture will promote the economic integration among cities in its jurisdiction such as Yanji, Longjing and Tumen, with a number of infrastructure projects to be implemented in the process.
Changchun, the provincial capital, will undertake a large-scale industrial development plan. It will focus on the development of automobile manufacturing, bio-chemicals, farm machinery, modern logistics and other industries in the next five to 10 years, when it also expects to extend its industrial chain to encompass the entire Changchun-Jilin-Tumen Pilot Zone.