The strategy to rejuvenate northeast China offers new opportunities for further development of economic cooperation between China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK).

Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs of China Li Hui made the remarks here Monday at a forum on regional economic cooperation between the three northeast Asia countries.

The strategy to rejuvenate northeast China is an important decision of the Chinese government after implementing its strategyof developing China's coastal and western areas, he said.

"This new strategy aims to overcome negative factors of economic development of this region and at the same time to put its positive factors of resources, technology and geographic position into full play, thus making the three provinces in northeast China to become a new economic zone of rapid development," he said.

The three provinces of northeast China refer to Liaoning, Jilinand Heilongjiang, which are a traditional industrial base with a large number of state owned enterprises. Nowadays, this area facesseveral problems including laid-off workers.

Li said the central and local governments of China will increase investment in infrastructure construction and equipment innovation and reform systems of investment and social welfare to improve investment environment in these three provinces, he added.

Reform of state-owned enterprises will open great prospects forforeign enterprises to invest in this area, he continued.

The opening up of the three provinces will usher in a new stage,he said, stressing that cooperation between this area with neighboring countries including Japan and the ROK will be strengthened.

Li encouraged local governments of Japan and the ROK to enhanceexchanges and cooperation with the three provinces of northeast China, He expressed his hope that entrepreneurs of the two countries can actively participate in China's strategy to rejuvenate northeast China and benefit from this strategy

Source: Xinhua