Jilin receives approval to set up border economic development area

Jilin has recently been given the green light to set up an economic development zone in the eastern part of the province, apparently in an attempt to encourage cross-border trade with North Korea and Russia.

The State Council approved the pilot zone in the Tumen River Delta, Xinhua quoted the provincial government as announcing yesterday.

The area covers 73,000 square kilometres and involves cities such as Huichun, Tumen, Yanji, Jilin city and Changchun, the provincial capital.

In an apparent attempt to underscore its importance, the development project was named a state strategy which would facilitate cross-border co-operation in northeastern Asia, apart from undoubtedly creating a huge opportunity for the economic development of the province.

Furthermore, it also seemed to revive the once hotly debated 'Plan of Revitalising Northeast China', which aimed to advance the development of the lagging provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning by establishing preferential policies and capital investment.

Han Changfu, Jilin's governor, reportedly said that the Changchun-Jilin-Tumen pilot zone was the mainland's first border development zone.

It is expected to push cross- border co-operation in the Tumen River Delta.