Liaoning achieves remarkable growth

The high-quality development of Northeast China's Liaoning province demonstrates stronger resilience and vitality, with its GDP growing 5.3 percent last year, exceeding the national growth rate for the first time in a decade, an official said on Tuesday.

Li Lecheng, governor of Liaoning, said at a news conference that the province's economic output surpassed 3 trillion yuan ($414 billion) last year, and continued its favorable momentum in the first quarter of this year, with GDP growth of 5.4 percent.

The comprehensive industrial system of Liaoning particularly drives its growth, with the province having 40 out of 41 major industrial categories that are part of the national economy, he said.

"A hub for major national projects, Liaoning has seen the birth of a number of heavy engineering projects such as the first domestically built aircraft carrier," he said, adding that robotics, intelligent tools and aviation equipment play important roles in Liaoning's industrial landscape.

Apart from heavy engineering equipment including aircraft carriers and shield tunneling machines, the province is also the nation's largest production base for smartphone camera motors, Li said.

Ninety percent of these components for domestically produced smartphones are made in Liaoning, he said. "We are committed to promoting the high-end upgrading of traditional industries and commercialization of cutting-edge technologies."

Population outflow has been a challenge for the comprehensive revitalization of China's northeastern provinces in recent years.

Zhang Lilin, vice-governor of Liaoning, said the province reversed the trend of net population outflow, which continued for 11 consecutive years, and reached a net inflow of 86,000 people last year.

"This change, though not large in terms of numbers, marks a qualitative shift that reflects our growing economic development, increasing innovative industries and improving business environment," Zhang said, adding that the external expectations for Liaoning have changed.

Talent is the key for Liaoning's revitalization, and the province has been stimulating innovation vitality and creating more job demand to expand its talent pool. A market-oriented and internationalized business environment will be built to attract more investment and enterprises to the province, Zhang said.

Last year, the province employed six new academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, taking their total number to 61.Meanwhile, 4,387 full-time doctoral candidates and high-level talent were introduced from home and abroad, an increase of 77 percent year-on-year, he said.

More than 401,000 university graduates were employed in Liaoning, up 20.8 percent year-on-year, providing solid talent support for its comprehensive revitalization, Zhang added.

Li, the governor, said that Liaoning will fully leverage its geographical advantages and deeply integrate into the Belt and Road Initiative, as well as promote opening-up in northern and eastern parts of Asia.

The province will promote foreign economic and trade development, attracting Fortune Global 500 companies and leading global enterprises, he said. "We will cultivate new models of foreign trade and steadily expand the export scale of new products such as electric passenger vehicles, lithium-ion batteries and solar batteries."

In June, Dalian will host the 15th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as the Summer Davos Forum, gathering a record 1,500 guests from across the world to discuss the new frontiers of future growth, he added.