Chapter 115 4. Revitalize the old industrial base in Northeast China

When it comes to the old industrial base in Northeast China, Chinese people are familiar with it. The Northeast was once affectionately called "the eldest son of the Republic", which is not only a supreme honor, but also a responsibility and dedication.Since the founding of New China, a large number of large state-owned backbone enterprises led by Daqing, Anshan Iron and Steel, FAW, Shenfei, and Dongzhong have always been the new force of national construction.At the same time, the Northeast is also the most important commercial grain base in the country, with an annual grain output of 60 billion kilograms. The "black soil" has become the world's granary for the Republic.

Whether it was during the War of Liberation, during the period of the socialist planned economy, or during the new period of reform and opening up, crude oil, steel, machine tools, automobiles, grain, and logs from the Northeast were continuously sent to the interior, and the Northeast became a veritable industrial base. After the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee, China began to transition from a planned economy to a socialist market economy.At that time, the whole country focused on "keeping the overall situation in mind" and fully supported the priority development of the eastern region.However, during this period, in the process of continuously exporting energy, raw materials, and corporate profits to contribute to national development, the development of light industry in Northeast China was suppressed, the structure of heavy industries such as energy and raw materials was solidified, and corporate management autonomy was not fully formed.All of these have caused the old industrial base in Northeast China to accumulate a large number of various contradictions that hinder economic development, making it difficult to move forward with heavy burdens.Many state-owned enterprises were poorly managed or even closed down, and a large number of enterprise workers were laid off.

The decline of the old industrial base in Northeast China and the deterioration of the "Northeast Phenomenon" have aroused the attention of the central leadership. In 2003, Wen Jiabao, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Premier of the State Council, inspected Northeast China three times.The first time was the Lunar New Year's Eve, when Wen Jiabao came to Fuxin, Liaoning, to celebrate the New Year with workers in a coal mine.The second time was at the end of May and the beginning of June, when Premier Wen Jiabao led a team to Liaoning Province to investigate the rectification of old industrial bases.The third time was in early August, when Premier Wen Jiabao inspected Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces, and hosted a symposium on revitalizing the old industrial bases in Northeast China in Changchun.The meeting officially listed the revitalization of the old industrial base in Northeast China as a national policy, and the strategic significance of revitalizing the Northeast was once again highlighted.

On October 5, 2003, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council issued "Several Opinions on Implementing the Revitalization Strategy of Old Industrial Bases in the Northeast Region". In August 2007, the State Council officially approved the Northeast Region Revitalization Plan compiled by the National Development and Reform Commission and the Northeast Revitalization Office of the State Council.Since then, the "northeast wind" has been blowing strongly from the land of China, and the Northeast region will be rejuvenated on the track of scientific and harmonious development.