Regional Development of Liaoning Province and Partnership with Russia (1990s to present)

Abstract

The implementation of regional transformation plans in Liaoning province aims to create a digital intelligent manufacturing center, a comprehensive revitalization area in Northeast China, an international shipping center in Northeast Asia, and a maritime economic development cooperation zone. Particular attention is paid to the system of interregional interaction with Russian regions. The modern development of Liaoning province in cooperation with the regions of the world is built on the basis of the implementation of the global project of the New Silk Road. The geographical advantages of the province, developed infrastructure, the presence of many ports (Jinzhou, Dandong, Dalian, Yingkou) and a developed network of railways — all this creates serious advantages for Liaoning province over other regions of China. The Chinese side was interested in bringing the dialogue with Russia's sister regions from the category of humanitarian cooperation into a system of multi-vector partnership interaction. Novosibirsk and Irkutsk regions were assigned to Liaoning province as "sister cities", cooperation with which since the early 1990s. developed in various directions. The experience accumulated over the past decades of inter-regional "sister-city" partnership cooperation between the province of Liaoning and the Irkutsk and Novosibirsk regions can serve as a basis for further cooperation between Liaoning and the Russian regions. Promising areas for inter-regional cooperation between Liaoning Province and Russia are activities to expand foreign direct investment in energy-producing regions such as Siberia; reform and improvement of free trade zones in Liaoning province, focused on cooperation with Russia; regular communication with representatives of the administration of the Russian regions on the One Belt, One Road information platforms; strengthening the technical and cultural exchange between the enterprises of Liaoning Province and the enterprises of the Russian regions.