New area opens doorway to north

Changchun New Area, the 17th national new area and located in Northeast China's Jilin province, will count on transportation hub development, high-end manufacturing, modern service and digital-based businesses to promote its global competitiveness, officials said on Friday.

Wang Haoyu, deputy director of the new area's planning bureau, said the area aims at expanding international trade channels and establishing an influential cooperation platform to improve investment activities, goods and people-to-people exchanges, especially with countries in Europe and the Northeast Asia region.

"Changchun New Area is expected to be more diversified in our market-oriented economy. In addition to heavy industries, we will develop more industry chains, including tourism, agriculture and high-tech, to spur economic growth," Wang said at Changchun New Area Opening-up and Development Forum in Beijing co-hosted by China Daily, the country's leading English-language newspaper.

Zhou Shuchun, publisher and editor-in-chief of China Daily, said Changchun New Area, encouraged by supportive government policies, a strong manufacturing foundation and favorable geographical position, will play an innovative and efficient role in supporting the development of the Belt and Road Initiative and the revitalization of Northeast China.

Wang Junzheng, Party chief of Changchun, said the new area will ensure that all foreign investors have a favorable business environment, and it will welcome more global companies to build their presence in the area.

Changchun has also achieved notable progress in the opening-up of the economy, which has become a key engine for the regional development. Changchun New Area, located at the crossroad of the Harbin-Daqing-Qiqihar Industrial Corridor and China-Mongolia-Russia Economic Corridor, is part of the Belt and the Road Initiative.

A new international airport in Changchun New Area, based on the redevelopment of the existing Changchun Longjia International Airport, will be a pivotal aviation logistics hub in Northeast Asia by opening new passenger and cargo routes that will connect to Russia and Northern Europe under the government plan.

Another land port will also be built in Changchun New Area.