New opportunities for Liaoning to revitalize industrial base

The central authorities have intensified their efforts in recent years to revitalize Northeast China, which usually refers to Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning provinces, as well as the eastern part of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

Local governments in the northeastern region, too, have intensified their efforts to boost the local economies, with Liaoning serving as a prime example. Liaoning has vowed to establish an opening-up cooperation hub in Northeast Asia, aimed at not only boosting the province's own development but also helping deepen regional economic cooperation in order to develop new quality productive forces to facilitate the province's high-quality development. Liaoning is transforming its geographical advantages, industrial foundation and opening-up potential into a powerful driving force for the region's revitalization and innovation-driven development.

Liaoning occupies an irreplaceable strategic position in Northeast Asia's economic landscape. Geographically, it sits at the intersection of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, and plays a key role in promoting trade cooperation among China, Japan, South Korea and enhancing China-Mongolia-Russia Economic Corridor.

In recent years, Liaoning University has proactively responded to the national policy of promoting high-level opening-up and global cooperation, organizing seven academic exchange programs with Russian universities, and co-establishing a "2 plus 2" scientific research mechanism and a"1 plus 1" talent training program to promote education collaboration globally.

The central government has designated Shenyang, Liaoning's capital, as a key international city in Northeast Asia, requiring it to advance high-level institutional opening-up. The initiative is not only about consolidating the city's global standing but also about building a platform for the cross-border flow of production factors.

To achieve this, the province needs to expeditiously improve its rules in fields such as cross-border data flow, mutual recognition of professional qualifications and coordinated intellectual property rights protection, establishing a production factor allocation center for Northeast Asia.

It also needs to deepen the reform of market-oriented allocation of production factors. For example, since the Shenyang National Research Center for Materials Science is promoting cross-regional collaborative innovation in talent, capital and technology, the province should establish an open competition mechanism to select the best candidates for key research projects.

Additionally, the authorities should focus on achieving innovative technological breakthroughs, especially because Liaoning is forming an innovation-oriented ecosystem centered on "artificial intelligence plus" and "robots plus", so as to leverage AI to promote new industrialization. For instance, Benxi Steel Group Corporation Limited has transformed its entire production process using digital twin technology, reducing per unit energy consumption by 18 percent.

Besides, Liaoning province is pursuing industrial transformation by reshaping the industrial system through the integration of innovation, industry and capital chains. It is building a "complete machine-plus-parts" ecosystem in the equipment manufacturing sector, extending high-end material chains such as carbon fiber in the petrochemical industry, and cultivating cutting-edge industrial clusters like cell therapy in biomedicine.

At the ongoing session of the National People's Congress, I have put forward a series of proposals, including one on establishing a "China-Japan-South Korea plus X" market mechanism to improve connectivity between port clusters in Liaoning and the port alliance in the Far East. Also, a Northeast Asia Digital Trade Port could be established at home to study the integration model of "market procurement plus cross-border e-commerce".

Furthermore, for upgrading consumption, it is necessary to implement a "smart business districts plan" to support traditional business districts, such as Zhongjie Street in Shenyang, to create augmented reality shopping experiences and unlock consumption potential by implementing favorable tax policies.

In particular, I recommend that a talent circulation mechanism be established in Northeast Asia to pilot the joint issuance of "employment permits, work visas and residence permits" for foreign talents, and a "Northeast Asia joint research institute" be set up in a Shenyang-based university.

Liaoning will continue to deepen the "think tank plus industry" service model and promote the synergy between the academia and regional revitalization. With its strong industrial base and vibrant potential, Liaoning is poised to write a new chapter in Northeast China's development and regional cooperation.

The author is president of Liaoning University and a deputy to the 14th National People's Congress. The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

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