CHINA DAILY | HONG KONG EDITION Friday, August 23, 2019 | 7 years onYEARS ON HEILONGJIANG Editor's note: As the People’s Republic of China prepares to celebrate its 70th anniversary on Oct 1, China Daily is featuring a series of stories on the role regions have played in the country’s development and where they are today. Impressive growth for new area, officials say By TIAN XUEFEI Russian financial cooperation as and ZHOU HUIYING in Harbin an opportunity and strives for more achievements in promoting The Harbin New Area has made the internationalization of the ren­ impressive progress in the first minbi in Russian markets,” said half of this year, with GDP growing Wang Tieli, director of Harbin’s 10.3 percent, compared with the Songbei district, a major part of same period last year, local offi­ the new area. “We will also expand cials said. the services of local currency set­ Approved by the State Council tlement, foreign exchange transac­ in 2015, it covers parts of Songbei, tions, electronic banking and Hulan and Pingfang districts in mutual communication.” Harbin, the capital of Heilongji­ To support local development ang province, and stretches 493 and better integrate the area’s square kilometers. resources, the provincial and city The new area caters for high­ administrations have given more end services and industries such autonomy to the new area’s as science and technology, infor­ administration. Harbin New Area mation services, finance, interna­ has promoted a “construction tional trade and cultural tourism. upon licensing” model for entre­ As the 16th national new area in preneurs who apply to the govern­ China, it is the country’s first and ment for business registration. only zone focusing on China­Rus­ According to the administra­ sian cooperation, as Heilongjiang tive committee, this allows invest­ Workers assemble a freight train at a workshop of CRRC Qiqihar Rolling Stock in Qiqihar, Heilongjiang province. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY shares a 2,981­kilometer border ment projects to start building with Russia. “The development of several days after filing applica­ the new area centering on coopera­ tions and the opportunity to tion with Russia is in line with the quickly start operations. central government’s efforts to Previously, entrepreneurs were strengthen business ties between required to take more than 100 Logging ban clears future path the two countries,” said Wang Wen­ days to go through complicated tao, governor of the province. procedures, including requiring Since opening in early 2016, the them to obtain a license and sev­ Once economically reliant on commercial forestry and heavy industry, Sino­Russian Financial Alliance, eral certificates, before they start­ which is headquartered in Harbin ed construction. the province is now focusing on greener ways to generate prosperity New Area and has 33 members “To become a driving engine of from China and 37 from Russia, has the province and the city, the new played an important role in imple­ area should extend its industrial By TIAN XUEFEI Population Area: 473,000 square kilometers Zhou Jinbo, a former assistant to menting projects involving finan­ chains by building complementa­ and ZHOU HUIYING in Harbin the company’s finance director, was cial cooperation. ry industrial clusters,” Governor one of those forced to take a lesser “The new area views the Sino­ Wang Wentao said. Liu Yangshun was one of the more position. He now works in the finance than 70,000 forestry workers laid off 37.73 million department of a subordinate compa­ in 2013 when his hometown of ny, but understands China First Yichun, Heilongjiang province, Heilongjiang Heavy Industries had to make decided to opt for green development changes. and banned commercial logging. Harbin He said the competition for posi­ “My family earned more than tions “was open and fair and fol­ 120,000 yuan ($17,042) last year, GDP lowed a strict process”. which we would not have imagined Unit: billion yuan CRRC Qiqihar Rolling Stock, a years ago,” said Liu, who now runs a Investment in freight train producer has achieved 1,636.16 fixed assets 1,129.20 restaurant specializing in rustic ($231.66) ($159.88 billion) success by exploring global markets food, such as wild fungus and free­ Unit: billion yuan and better serving the Belt and Road 2018 1200 2017 range chickens raised in forests. Initiative. Located in the northeastern part 1000 747.54 The company was set up last year of the province and separated from 800 2011 through a restructuring of the former An aerial view of the Harbin New Area in Harbin, Heilongjiang. Russia by the Heilong River, known transportation equipment arm of PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY 1,258.20 600 in Russia as the Amur River, Yichun 2011 CRRC based in Qiqihar, and four 400 173.73 was once known as the center of 75.1 wholly­owned locomotive and wind 2.7 2005 China’s forestry industry. 200 1999 power branches in Liaoning, Hebei But nowadays it is overwhelmed 1978 and Shandong provinces, and the 0 Province’s trade ties with by tourists, many of whom come to Inner Mongolia autonomous region. forest retreats to escape the summer Total retail sales of The restructured company has 551.37 social consumer goods heat in other parts of the country. 2005 909.92 registered capital of 6.7 billion yuan Russia forging ahead Unit: billion yuan ($128.83 billion) Yichun serves as a prototype for Hei­ 1000 and employs 20,300 people. longjiang’s shift to a more environ­ 2017 Its core business is the production 286.63 mentally friendly and sustainable 800 625.12 of freight trains, which are exported By TIAN XUEFEI regions participated in the expo, 1999 economic model. 2013 to more than 30 countries including and ZHOU HUIYING in Harbin which covered a total exhibition Han Ku, mayor of Yichun, said 600 Australia, New Zealand, the United area of 86,000 square meters. 17.48 there are now more than 260 cen­ 400 States and Brazil. Heilongjiang province reported Representatives from China and 1978 177.38 ters for planting and growing agri­ 101.62 2005 Besides the train production, 64.7 percent annual growth in its Russia had exchanges on trade pro­ cultural products, such as 2.6 200 1999 CRRC Qiqihar has exported more trade with Russia last year, accord­ motion, cross­border e­commerce, 1952 blueberries, black fungus and free­ 0 than 50,000 heavy­duty mining ing to the provincial Commerce modern agriculture, customs clear­ range chickens and pigs. Source: Heilongjiang Provincial Government MUKESH MOHANAN / CHINA DAILY vehicles. It also produces machinery Department. Its trade with Russia ance, transport and logistics, The city has also designed indus­ for container transportation, envi­ reached 122 billion yuan ($17.32 resources development, electronic trial zones to encourage small and ronmental protection and intelli­ billion), ranking first among pro­ and mechanical innovation, culture medium­sized businesses that spe­ gent machines. vincial­level regions in the country. tourism and youth exchanges. cialize in processing agricultural Investment in 16 overseas eco­ The border city of Heihe has been products. One enterprise has man­ Tourism focus nomic and trade cooperation doing business with Russia for aged to extract anthocyanin, a fla­ The capital city of Harbin has zones with Russia reached $3 bil­ more than 130 years. In 2011, Heihe vonoid with antioxidant qualities, turned itself into a tourist destination lion and attracted 147 enterprises, and Russia’s Amurskaya region from blueberries. At the same time, by taking advantage of its culture, his­ with Chinese companies paying started cooperative projects in sec­ a series of ongoing reforms is help­ tory and clean environment. $250 million in tax. tors including transportation, ing revitalize State­owned enter­ Last year, for the first time, the The province shares a 2,981­ resources, culture and tourism. prises in the province. number of inbound and outbound kilometer border with Russia and The first highway bridge con­ At a panel discussion during the passengers at Harbin Taiping Inter­ is now taking full advantage of the necting China with Russia is National People’s Congress in March, national Airport exceeded 20 mil­ Belt and Road Initiative and its expected to be operational within Zhang Qingwei, Party secretary of lion, the most of any Northeastern unique geographical position to a year. It spans 1,284 meters, Heilongjiang, said the province will China airport. boost its business, economic and across the Heilong River and will strive for breakthroughs in its busi­ The city received 85.67 million cultural ties with Russia. connect Heihe with the Russian ness environment and improve­ domestic and foreign tourists The sixth China­Russia Expo, city of Nizhneleninskoye. ments in the work style of officials. throughout the year, with tourism which was held from June 15 to 19 Construction of the bridge In recent years, Heilongjiang has revenue hitting 137.6 billion yuan, a in Harbin, the provincial capital, began in December 2016. After Tourists visit the Volga Manor theme park, a popular tourist attrac­ been focusing on supply­side struc­ 16.9 percent year­on­year increase. saw more than 170 billion yuan completion, the passenger flow tion in Harbin, Heilongjiang. CHENG QIANG / FOR CHINA DAILY tural reforms, accelerating the trans­ Huang Zuxiang, chairman of worth of foreign trade contracts between the two cities is expected formation and upgrading of Dongjian Group, started his busi­ signed by Chinese companies. to reach 1.4 million next year. traditional industries, promoting the trial base, has been promoting company, said they had reduced def­ ness in 1988 and created a well­ The event was hosted by the In July, construction of a cross­ development of emerging industries, reform of State­owned enterprises icits during the year as the compa­ known brand of tower cranes that Ministry of Commerce, the Hei­ border cableway spanning the and maintaining stable economic and accelerating modernization ny’s turnover hit a record high.