Living & Traveling

Anshan, Benxi, Dandong, Dalian, Fushun, Huludao, Jinzhou, Liaoyang, Tieling, Yingkou

Provincial Party Secretary: Wen Shizhen (张文岳)
Provincial Governor: Zhang Wenyue (张文岳)
Party Secretary of Shenyang: Zhang Xingxiang (张行湘)
Mayor of Shenyang: Chen Zhenggao (陈政高)

Liaoning’s GDP reached 72.5 billion USD in 2003, ranking 8th nationwide.   The province’s GDP growth rate in 2003 was 11.5 percent, compared with China’s overall growth rate in 2003 of 9.1 percent.  Liaoning is the most prosperous of the three northeastern provinces.  Although Liaoning’s economic development now lags behind that of eastern and southern China, the province remains China’s industrial heartland and is home to many of China’s most important state-owned enterprises (SOE), such as Anshan Iron & Steel and Shenyang Aircraft. 

In 2003, the Central Government launched the "Revitalize the Northeast" plan, in part to further reform and privatize SOEs.  The province’s Revitalization plans focus on the development of seven basic industrial sectors: shipbuilding, automobile production, transportation infrastructure, equipment manufacturing, steel, petrochemicals, and pharmaceuticals.  Finding employment for the large number of workers laid-off by former SOEs is one of the key challenges facing provincial leaders.  Liaoning in 2001 launched a three-year social security pilot program intended to systematize the hodge-podge of SOE-based programs that formerly existed and substitute for those that could no longer provide benefits. In 2004, the province decided to make permanent the changes so far enacted and to look into extending benefits to rural workers and categories of urban workers not adequately covered by the existing plan.

Liaoning is the northeast regional leader in international trade.  In 2003, total foreign trade reached 26.56 billion USD (up 22.2 percent over 2002), 11.93 billion of which was imports.  The value of trade with the United States in 2003 was 2.8 billion USD, 0.55 billion of which was imports.  In 2003, the U.S. ranked third in trade with Liaoning,  behind Japan and Korea.  Many major American companies, such as General Motors, Goodyear Tire, Pfizer, Cargill, and Amway, have invested in Liaoning. 

Under Beijing’s "Revitalize the Northeast" plan, Liaoning is likely to be the largest beneficiary because of its large industrial base.  U.S. companies could find export opportunities in machine tools, specialty steel manufacturing equipment, petrochemical refinery technology, and power generation equipment.  Other areas of potential export interest are management of water resources; treatment of wastewater, solid and hazardous waste; and reduction of sulphur dioxide in manufacturing and power generation. Liaoning’s provincial guidelines in these areas could influence those to be adopted in Jilin and Heilongjiang.  The port of Dalian, handling 90% of the northeast’s export cargo, may need port security equipment and technology to meet U.S. security requirements.  Shenyang, the provincial capital, is considering building a subway but the project, which has yet to be approved by the State Council, is still in the development stage.  A proposed expansion of Shenyang’s new international airport may also yield export opportunities.

Liaoning's population is 42.4 million. Ethnic minorities (e.g Koreans, Mongolians, Manchus, Hui) make up about 16 percent of the population.

Liaoning currently has 61 universities and institutes of higher learning, 798 vocational schools, 2,377 middle schools, and 12,739 primary schools.  Prominent universities and university-level institutes include: Northeast University, Liaoning University, Dalian Institute of Technology, and Northeast University of Finance and Economics.  University graduates comprise 6.2 percent of Liaoning’s, compared with a national figure of 3.6  percent.