A meeting on the strategy for rejuvenating Shenyang city in Northeast China’s Liaoning province was held at Tsinghua University on Nov 29, Shenyang Daily reported.

Officials from Shenyang city, together with experts and scholars on urban planning and national conditions research from Tsinghua University, the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering; gathered at the School of Architecture to discuss methods of rejuvenating Shenyang and subsequent development.

Tang kai, chairman of the China Association of City Planning, introduced background information and the general framework of Shenyang’s strategic rejuvenation plan.

Shenyang, an old industrial city in Northeast China, has suffered from a flagging economy like the rest of the region. As a once thriving industrial base, Northeast China which covers Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang is bearing the brunt of a more acute slowdown than the rest of the country, trailing well behind in terms of GDP growth. The region’s economy relies largely on heavy industries, energy resources, raw materials and a large proportion of State-owned enterprises.

As early as 2004, the central government had rolled out a revitalization strategy for Northeast China, which included a slew of supportive measures specially designed for the region, with a focus on structural reform, encouraging innovation and startups, and improving people's livelihoods.

Wang Menghui, Party chief of Shenyang city, pointed out that the rejuvenation of Northeast China is of great importance in achieving the regional development strategy of China, and is related to the security and stability of the periphery of China and Northeast Asia.

Wang also claimed that Shenyang will shoulder the responsibility and mission that the central government granted to explore a better development path through taking full advantage of the city’s location, industrial foundation, advantageous resources and China’s supportive policies and measures.

Shenyang will make greater efforts to achieve the goals it set at the Thirteenth Party Congress. For example, Shenyang is set to build itself a center city as part of the rejuvenation of Northeast China by 2020, and Shenyang is to become an international center city by 2030, according to Wang.

To reach these goals, Shenyang will create a much sounder business environment to attract investment, and upgrade its industrial structure and urban areas.