Opinions of CPC Liaoning Provincial Committee and Liaoning Provincial People’s Government on the Implementation of Further Opening-up

From China Liaoning Business Guide

[Liao Wei Fa 2005 No. 24]

In order to implement the Opinions of the General Office of the State Council on Implementing the Promotion of Further Opening-up of the Old Industrial Bases in Northeast China (Guo Ban Fa [2005] No. 36), seize the opportunities of revitalizing the old industrial bases in Northeast China and the opening-up in the coastline areas, and implement the opening-up policy in Liaoning Province in a comprehensive and broad way, Liaoning Province hereby puts forward the following opinions based on the practical situation.

1. General Requirements of Opening-up
   1. Recognize clearly new opportunities in opening-up. Developing an open economy is an objective requirement of adapting to the economic globalization, and also an inevitable choice of promoting the economic development in Liaoning Province. Liaoning Province shall seize the opportunity of global industrial restructuring and industrial transfer in coastal areas in inland China, adhere to the "Scientific Development Concept", take advantage of its location, resources, industry and technologies to boost reform, restructure, development and revitalization through innovation of systems and mechanisms.
   2. Explicit the objectives of opening-up policy. The quality and level of utilizing foreign investment shall be improved comprehensively and the growth of foreign trade shall be fundamentally changed. The independent innovation capabilities of high-tech and equipment manufacturing industries shall be enhanced. Industrial agglomeration shall be formed, driven by leading enterprises. The economic and social development of Liaoning Province will lead to a comprehensive, coordinated and sustainable path by bringing the advantages of coastal cities and port-vicinity industries into play. Within a short period of time, efforts shall be made to further improve the investment environment. Economic competitiveness shall be upgraded significantly. The level of opening-up of the national economy will be enhanced and the contribution of foreign trade to the economic growth will increase significantly.
   3. Explicit the general requirements of the opening-up. Aiming at building new national industrial base and important growth area, Liaoning shall expand the level of opening-up with emphasis in a comprehensive and broader way on building Liaoning into a province with strong economy. Everyone in Liaoning shall change his/her conventional mindset and strengthen the sense of urgency, responsibility and mission. CPC committees, governments and other fields and all departments shall take "Three Favorables" (whether it promotes the growth of the productive forces in a socialist society, whether increases the overall strength of the socialist state, whether raises the people’s living standards) as a fundamental measure, break with conservative views of status quo bias, negative, self-reclusive and narrow-minded, get rid of all the obstacles to the economic development and promote development of the open economy in Liaoning more effectively.
2. Strategic Pattern of Opening-Up
   1. Increase the level of opening-up in all aspects. Resources shall be shared by coastal cities and inland cities in Liaoning Province and form new opening-up pattern featured by mutual reliance, mutual support, clear emphasis and overall promotion. Led by open economic development in Dalian, the opening pace of the Liaodong Peninsula shall be accelerated. Backed up by the central cities of Liaoning, the Northeast Asia Shipping Center shall be established as soon as possible. Relying on Dandong and Jinzhou, a more comprehensive opening-up pattern will be formed, in harmony with Liaodong Peninsula.
   2. Speed up the building up of Dalian as Northeast Asian International Shipping Centre. Speed up the construction of coastal ports and integrate port resources. Based on the principles of unified planning, reasonable distribution, professional labor division, coordinated development and benefit sharing, Liaoning Province shall break the administrative regional restrictions. With Dalian Port as the core and supported by Dandong Port, Jinzhou Port, Yingkou Port and Huludao Port, a port alliance shall be set up accordingly. Railways, highways as well as collection and delivery systems stretching to the inland cities in the province must be constructed well. Efforts shall also be made to increase international liners and air routes.
   3. Promote the development of the coastal economic belt. Speed up the industrial restructuring and upgrading in coastal areas to promote the development of coastal cities and port-vicinity industries. Efforts shall be made to complete a coastal highway network, integrate coastal land resources, develop processing trade, promote the construction of small towns and townships and build up the coastal economic belt of high internationalization, emerging industry clusters and beautiful scenery in Liaoning Province.
   4. Expand the pilot scope of collaboration between ports and the bonded areas to Changxing Island, Dandong, Jinzhou, Yingkou and other ports gradually. Develop the functions of international transit, international distribution, international procurement and international trade in the Dalian Port Zone as soon as possible, and promote the construction of the free trade zone on the Dagushan Peninsula. Linked by railways and highways with the central cities of Shenyang, Changchun and Harbin, as well as traffic hubs such as Dandong, Yingkou, Manzhouli and Tongliao, Liaoning Province shall establish the logistics system in Northeast China, logistics distribution center and bonded logistics park, realize import and export customs clearance on the spot, which will help the ports in the province to become the gateway to the Northeast Logistic Network. Expand the functions and roles of the port and speed up the construction of "inland port" in the hinterland cities in Northeast China.
   5. Increase the role of the megalopolis in Liaoning Province in industrial agglomeration. Shenyang shall be built into the economic centre of Northeast China to become the leading area for cooperation in Northeast Asia. Based on its industrial characteristics and resource advantages, central cities in Liaoning Province shall integrate resources, optimize structure, implement cross development strategy so as to form a united economic system. These cities shall also set examples for others in introducing multinational enterprises and leading projects, developing high-tech industries and optimizing foreign capital.
   6. Jinzhou and Huludao shall take advantage of the ports, speed up opening-up, and drive the economic development of inland cities in Liaoning Province. Panjin shall make full use of the advantages of the leading industries of petrochemical and fine chemicals, integrate resources, and increase the level of openness. Fuxin and Chaoyang shall combine the advantage in resources, utilize foreign and domestic funds, and develop cereal processing and food industry. In this way the overall opening-up pattern will be formed in western Liaoning Province.
   7. Open wider to other domestic cities to promote domestic economic cooperation. Taking advantage of industry, technology and ports resources; cities in Liaoning shall expand the economic cooperation and technical communication with other cities in the Northeast region, around Bohai Sea Rim Economic Zone, and coastal provinces of China. Encourage research institutions and enterprises to invest and cooperate with Liaoning through capital, patents, technology and brand name products, and attract technology and management talents from all kinds of fields and all around nation to establish businesses in Liaoning.
3. Upgrade the Role of Leading Areas Comprehensively
   1. System and mechanism innovation shall be conducted in all kinds of development zone. Under the new situation, development zones shall carry new connotations. Management systems shall be renewed to broaden development space. Earnestly following the Regulations for Economic and Technical Development Zones in Liaoning Province, the development zones above provincial level shall act as leaders during the opening-up process. These zones, where featured industry parks, parks of foreign countries and research parks plan to set-up, shall implement a relatively closed administration system to guarantee fast and sustained development. New export processing zones and provincial development zones shall be established. Shenyang Equipment Manufacturing Park and Changxing Island Port-Vicinity Industrial Park shall be constructed as soon as possible. Liaoning shall also strive to establish free trade zones with great potential to satisfy economic development. Dalian and Shenyang Export Processing Zone, Shenyang (Zhangshi) Export Processing Zone, Yingkou Singapore Industrial Park shall be properly developed and the declaration and construction of export processing zones shall be escalated. Shenyang Finance and Trade Development Zone shall vigorously develop modern service industries and form industrial concentration so as to become the financial centre of Northeast China. Jinzhou Economic Development Zone shall upgrade its economic capacity and quality and create favorable conditions for its shift to national status.
   2. Improve policy systems of development zones through effective guidance. According to the actual development situation and related policies of China, Liaoning Province shall redefine the land use scale to meet the actual demands of development zones above a provincial level. The compensation fees of new land for construction shall be refunded after collection. Apart from the amount paid to the State, the remainder collected by Liaoning Province shall be refunded to the development zones for designated use. Liaoning shall give its support to development zones above provincial level. Land to be used for attracting foreign capital in development zones shall be approved as soon as it is declared. As for development zones above provincial level outside the central cities, the municipal administration for city planning shall set up affiliated institutions for independent land examination and approval so as to increase efficiency. Well-developed zones can establish sub-zones to enlarge their effect through brand build-up and rich experience in resources and management. Administration service fees shall be regulated and the fees collected by Liaoning Province shall be phased out for zones above provincial level, thus producing an "investment lowland effect".
4. Broaden Investment Fields and Improve the Quality and Level of Foreign Investment Attraction
   1. Encourage the participation of foreign capital in the restructuring of state-owned enterprises by mergers and acquisitions, equity participation. Apart from fields in which foreign investment is prohibited by related laws and regulations of China, the restriction on share-holding proportions of state-owned enterprises in Liaoning shall be lifted. Where foreign investors merge with a state-owned enterprise, hold shares, or have joint shares in restructuring a state-owned enterprise, the tax arrears can be exempt if approved. The province’s administrations of property rights shall make vigorous efforts to seek foreign strategic investors and together with tax administrations define the state-owned enterprises that have tax arrears to gain support from the State. Liaoning Province shall encourage foreign companies to buy out distressed debt and stock of financial asset management companies and restructure and dispose assets thereof. Foreign companies merging with state-owned enterprises shall strictly follow China’s laws and regulations when dealing with labour relationships, staff reductions and social welfare. Enterprises absorbing foreign capital shall, according to the Opinions of Liaoning Provincial People’s Government on Further Reform of State-owned Enterprises (Liao Zheng Fa [2005] No.15), enjoy more benefits in capital evaluation, procedure changing, personnel resettlement, technology transfer, product development and domestic equipment purchasing. A loan interest subsidy and the amount of capital subsidy of state-owned enterprises already possessing national bonds or key projects supported by provincial financial departments shall not be changed. At the same time, they could be transferred to stocks of China’s state-owned enterprises if approved.
   2. Based on the industrial development, the contents of foreign invested superior industries in Liaoning shall be compiled. Projects meeting the requirements of the Catalogue of Priority Industries for Foreign Investment in the Central and Western Regions shall enjoy preferential tax benefits. Foreign investment in high-tech industries as well as in research and development centers shall be encouraged. Besides preferential tax benefits, tariffs and value-added taxes shall be exempt when investors import materials, substances and samples from foreign countries. Foreign investors shall also be encouraged to invest in continuous and substitutive industries.
   3. Highlight foreign investment priorities. Positively guide foreign investors to enter the industries of modern agriculture, equipment manufacturing, chemicals, high technologies and agricultural product processing. Speed up the development of supporting industries. The attention of foreign investors shall be directed to infrastructure so as to realize diversified investment and market-based operations. Efforts to introduce advanced technology, equipment, management experience and talents, especially state-of-the-art navigation and ship building technologies as well as famous brands, shall be strengthened for the purpose of fostering mass high-tech industry and driving the reconstruction of key industries and enterprises. Innovation in technology and products shall also be made so as to enhance core competitiveness. Encourage foreign investors to establish research centers, headquarters and investment companies.
   4. Innovate the modes of investment attraction. An innovative mode guided by the government with the assistance of related agencies shall be founded. Based on industrial parks, this enterprise-oriented mode shall be operated by professionals. More effort shall be put in the development of agencies engaging in investment attraction so as to reduce costs and improve efficiency. Liaoning Province shall strive to expand the channels of investment attraction, such as industry chains, mergers and acquisitions, increasing capital, listing and financing, the internet, agencies etc. The enterprises in the province are being encouraged to list overseas. Enterprises having absorbed foreign stock and capital shall be treated as well as foreign investors are in Liaoning Province. Professionals shall be sent to main areas and countries, for instance, Europe, the Americas, Japan, Korea and Singapore to positively attract local capital. Cities in Liaoning can establish institutions of such kind abroad by virtue of the roles of friendship cities, embassies, overseas Chinese and compatriots from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. Attention shall also be paid to the roles of attorneys in order to improve the rate of contract performance and reduce managing risk.
5. Speed up Conversion of Growth Patterns of Foreign Trade
   1. Invigorate trade through science and technology in an all-around way. While putting such policies into operation, Liaoning Province shall adjust and optimize structures of products to be exported. More effort shall be paid to technology renewal, research of exported products and the reform of traditional industries by using electro-mechanical and high-tech products. Liaoning shall give attention to fostering and supporting key export enterprises possessing core technologies and independent intellectual property rights and owning famous brands. E-business and other advanced trade modes shall be popularized to push ahead information-based construction. The structure of imported products shall be optimized. Import of energy, raw materials, advanced technologies and key equipment shall also be enhanced.
   2. Vigorously promote the transformation and upgrading of processing trade. The quality and level of processing trades shall be improved through vigorously developing technology-intensive and high value-added processing projects. Positive efforts will also be made to take on foreign manufacturing transfer and service outsourcing so as to drive the development of modern processing trades. Liaoning will make active efforts to improve the level and added value of traditional trade products, thus driving processing trades to extend research, sales and after-sales service. By means of technology spin-offs, OEM and ODM shall be gradually substituted by self-initiated brands.
   3. Intensify brand construction of products to be exported. Related departments of Liaoning Province will formulate the Guidance of the Development Export Brand in Liaoning Province to direct enterprises to make plans for brand construction, develop exported brands, register trade marks overseas, promote brands and apply for patents, international quality standard assessments and product access permission. Key export enterprises possessing core technologies, independent intellectual property rights and own famous brands shall be given more help and support. Exporting enterprises shall be funded to develop new products, apply for the assessment of quality systems, register foreign trade marks and patents, deliver product information and commercials and participate in foreign professional exhibitions and promotion conferences.
   4. Actively support the export of agricultural products. We shall earmark more capital to increase the amount of agricultural and aquatic products to be exported. Key enterprises involved in exporting agricultural and aquatic products shall be supported and policies of tax rebates for exported products shall be completed. Liaoning Province shall develop the agriculture conforming to international agricultural standards through improving systems of input, production and processing. A number of high-level leading enterprises and high quality exporting bases of shall be set up. Exchanges in agricultural economy and technology with foreign countries shall be enhanced so as to promote new technology and products as well as abilities and leveling of deep processing of agricultural products.
   5. Exploit international markets. Traditional markets in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia shall be consolidated and the markets in EU and North America shall be developed in depth. Emerging markets in Russia, India, the Middle East and Latin America shall be vigorously exploited. Using the opportunity of canceling quota, facilitate local textile and apparel enterprises to enter the high-end markets of Europe and America. Large circulating enterprises shall be supported to establish sales networks to drive the export of domestic products. Measures against foreign trade barriers shall be formulated by establishing pre-warning mechanisms for exported bulk products and supporting enterprises to answer suits against anti-dumping. Investigations about industrial impairment shall be enhanced and also pre-warning mechanisms for imported products shall be set up so as to protect the legal rights of enterprises in the province and the security of the industrial economy.
   6. Expand frontier trade. Dandong shall vigorously develop a pilot tax refund scheme for exported products in small frontier trade to be settled in RMB. The procedures of tax rebating for exported products, the administration of imported and exported products and personnel exchanges shall be simplified to facilitate trade and investing activities. The functions of the Dandong Border Cooperation Zone shall be improved to make Dandong home to logistics distribution, the processing of exported and imported products, international trade activities and tourism.
6. Carrying Out the Strategies of "Go Global"
   1. Speed up the pace of "go global". Cooperation with neighboring countries on energy, raw materials and mineral resources shall be continuously deepened. While actively participating in regional economic cooperation, Liaoning shall also encourage enterprises to provide supports to or independently assume cooperative projects. During cooperation, international trade friction and barriers shall be minimized. The enterprises in the province are supported to exploit minerals, oil and gas, forests and fishery abroad, with Russia and Australia as the primary areas. Support shall be given to local enterprises to enter into business abroad in ways of mergers and acquisitions, change of stock rights and being listed abroad. Production bases, research centre and sales networks shall be established to satisfy the development of enterprises in foreign countries. Liaoning shall lend more support to large enterprises to found factories or undertake overseas projects with their own capital. Such projects will help the exportation of technologies, workers, machines and electronic products as well as the sale of complete sets of equipment. The construction of professional bases accommodating local workers assigned shall be quickened.
   2. Innovate employment and service mechanisms of "go global" projects. The policy systems of "go global " will be soon constituted and improved. More help shall be devoted to overseas projects related to energy and processing trades, project contracts and base establishments for staff training. A safety warning system against overseas investment and contract staff as well as systems preventing risk and dealing with emergencies shall be founded at the same time. A service network promoting overseas investment and information exchange shall be improved. Local international talent banks will provide human resources. The general achievement evaluation system for overseas investment shall be further improved through better coordination and supervision.
   3. Properly implement national supporting policies for overseas development. More support shall be given to production and processing projects as well as technology cooperative projects to drive the export of equipment and Chinese workers. Provincial support shall be centered on loan interest subsidies, preferential loans and subsidies for overseas exhibitions. These effective measures will give a push for the enterprises in the province to develop abroad by means of joint venture, cooperation as well as mergers and acquisitions.
7. Expand Opening-Up of the Service Industry
   1. Enlarge and deepen the opening-up of the business and the service sector. Modern forms of circulation and organization such as chain operation, logistic distribution and e-business shall be vigorously developed. Transnational business groups shall be encouraged to set up purchasing centers in Liaoning for export. Shenyang, Dalian, Yingkou, Dandong and other central cities and coastal areas shall be deemed as major attractions of the province for foreign investors to engage in logistics. Trans-national enterprises and foreign logistics companies shall be encouraged to participate in the development and construction of logistic parks and distribution centers in Liaoning. Local traditional industries of wholesaling, retailing, storage as well as food and beverage shall be reformed by adopting advanced international technologies and management methods. Large amount of foreign capital shall be channeled to small and medium cities as well as rural areas so as to promote the development of urban community business and rural commerce.
   2. Encourage foreign investment in the transportation industry. The proportion limit on foreign capital, which is involved in railway passenger and freight transport, domestic and international road transport, regular and irregular international sea transport as well as international container and inter-modal transport, shall be extended after approval. This policy may also apply to investment by foreign investors and preferential loans by the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank into the construction of urban gas and heat supply, urban water supply and drainage pipelines, communications infrastructure, air navigation and general aviation.
   3. Encourage foreign investment in financial markets. Liaoning Province shall make efforts to attract foreign banks, security and insurance institutions and all kinds of funding and financial agencies to establish institutions or subsidiaries, as well as to set up equity or contractual joint financial ventures. The application of foreign capital banks to establish institutions and start up business shall be given approval priority. Overseas strategic investors shall be encouraged to push the reform and reconstruction of urban commercial banks. Liaoning Rural Credit Union shall speed up the introduction of foreign capital and the reform in property right systems. Foreign capital insurance companies with advantages in pensions shall be supported to enter Liaoning Province. Foreign capital companies with advantages shall be encouraged to establish insurance institutions for beginning a new system of rural cooperative medical insurance featuring benefits and risk sharing. Liaoning Province shall strive to found wholly or jointly invested professional agricultural insurance companies.
   4. Support direct financing of state-owned, private and foreign-funded enterprises in capital markets at home and abroad. A library about candidate enterprises to be listed shall be established. Strength shall be devoted to finding and fostering these potential enterprises and giving them necessary guidance. A promotion platform for enterprises to be listed shall be built up. Enterprises investing in Liaoning with capital acquired by initially going listed or absorbing financial capital overseas shall enjoy preferential policies or treatment according to their investment volume. The Dalian Commodity Exchange shall be encouraged to strengthen its communication and cooperation with foreign countries to develop future markets and create new futures categories.
   5. Encourage foreign investors to cooperate with relevant institutions in Liaoning Province in setting up vocational training institutions. Unless otherwise stipulated by the laws and regulations of China, foreign investors cooperating with local institutions of higher education and vocational training in founding higher education or vocational training institutions to foster vocational technicians, international businesspeople, shall be treated the same as other vocational education institutions in China.
8. Comprehensively Improve the Soft Environment
   1. Create a favorable open environment. Governments and administrations at all levels shall change working styles, improve service quality and increase work efficiency for establishing a service-oriented government of honesty. The departments of law enforcement shall conform to open and regular examination and approval procedures and avoid arbitrary behaviors when examining companies. Policies of salaries and bones based on charging and penalties shall be stopped. Efforts shall be made to create a fair and transparent legal environment and a stable policy environment, where comprehensive services will be provided, talents will be treated favorably and people can lead a high quality life.
   2. Promote the "Governmental System of Keeping the Public Informed" in all relevant departments. Administrations playing the roles of examination and approval shall make public their application procedures, working processes, required materials and time limits. The primary responsibility system (the first person consulted being held responsible), the service commitment system and the system of notifying on site as well as completing formalities within a limited period shall be implemented throughout the province. Government departments shall provide "one-stop" services to improve work efficiency and service quality. At the same time, in case an office provides material lists and document samples necessary for examination and approval, it shall clearly state its suggestions and requirements for modification on the application materials and perform the examination and approval of all formalities at one time. As for foreign projects within local approval authority, the feasibility report for the project proposal foreign-funded enterprises shall be remitted. Special favors shall be given to foreign influential projects in procedure transaction, land use and supporting infrastructure. Joint meeting systems for projects invested by foreigners shall be built up accordingly. Liaoning Provincial People’s Government shall hold and preside over a joint meeting to discuss and make resolutions for major projects requiring coordination. All the departments in all areas of the province shall promptly execute the decisions made at the meeting.
   3. Create a favorable environment to attract foreign investors. Importance shall be attached to foreign-funded enterprises that have been established or under construction. Favorable construction and development conditions shall be developed in accordance with contracts and agreements, with a view to guaranteeing smooth establishment and healthy development. Administrations serving foreign-funded enterprises shall, with the principle of providing services, hold regular seminars to listen to opinions and suggestions of foreign investors to solve any problems of their concern. The complaints of foreign investors shall be properly handled. Governments and juridical departments shall actively cooperate with each other to successfully deal with complaints filed by foreign investors. Major complaints shall be directly submitted to related departments, even to provincial and municipal leaders. A hierarchical responsibility system for complaints and a system of one person being responsible for one case shall be implemented. Different kinds of complaints shall be dealt with seriously within a limited period and the solutions shall be fed back to foreigner investor promptly.
   4. Improve the service and speed of customs clearance. Customs clearance procedures shall be simplified by providing such services as "early customs declaration", "customs declaration by appointment" and holiday services. Service awareness shall be enhanced and port functions shall be strengthened to cover inland areas. Both the construction of customs clearance procedures and a public information platform shall be expedited to reduce related costs involved in customs clearance. In this way, the overall service quality and efficiency of customs clearance can be tremendously improved.
   5. Establish a healthy and civilized human environment and living environment. Activities shall be organized to enhance public awareness of creating a favorable investment environment. A pleasant living environment shall be created in Liaoning Province for foreign investors. "Communities for foreign investors" shall be planned and built in the areas with large numbers of foreign-funded enterprises. A package of services shall be provided for foreign investors, which involve education of their children, health care, SATV, culture and entertainment.
9. Perfect Industry-supporting Systems
   1. Establish supporting service systems for industrial development. Industries shall be clustered to form industry chains and supporting systems with features of the province. The advantages of local industries and the requirements of foreign-funded enterprises shall be earnestly analyzed based on which enterprises can guide and encourage small and medium enterprises to make vigorous efforts to support related facilities for leading industries with a view to forming industrial clusters. A coordinated project library as well as a public information communication network shall be established for the purpose of realizing reconstruction and integration of production factors and resources. In order to boost industrial clusters, Liaoning Provincial People’s Government shall provide capital aid to small and medium enterprises for support of large enterprises and major projects. Small and medium enterprises as well as private companies may, by virtue of loan guarantees and subsidies for loan interest, develop supported industries for large enterprises and key projects. In this way, industry and product chains will be extended and industrial clusters will be formed.
   2. Introduce foreign capital to develop and perfect service systems for small and medium enterprises. Encourage and attract foreign investors in the establishment of service systems for small and medium enterprises by means of foreign sole ownership, joint venture, capital investment, and equity participation. The system may include financial guarantee, information consulting, technological service, talent training and legal service. Cooperation with foreign investors in capital shall be encouraged to set up guarantee institutions to provide the services aforesaid to small and medium enterprises. Cooperation shall be developed with listed financial institutions overseas to promote small and medium enterprises to list abroad. For this aim, preliminary guidance shall be provided for foreign investors. The systems of capital subsidies and legal aid for anti-dumping shall be founded and the related institutions providing such services shall be accordingly built up. Small and medium enterprises shall be encouraged to respond to anti-dumping claims.
10. Further Improve Guarantee Mechanism of Opening-up
    1. Intensify the guidance on opening-up. CPC committees and governments at all levels shall make every effort to determine the guidelines, objectives and measures pertaining to opening-up which require the attention of top leaders of the Party and Governments. All cities in Liaoning Province shall improve effective examination, evaluation and incentive systems of an open economy. Based on its development, effective cadre performance can be appraised. All functional departments shall consolidate their consciousness of opening-up and work hard to successfully organize related activities.
    2. Establish a joint-meeting system on opening-up. Governments at all levels shall set up a joint meeting on opening-up organized by chief leaders of governments and attended by related administrations. The meeting shall focus on coordination and direction in planning, policy implementation, project promotion and response to complaints from foreign investors. A team led by chief leaders of the CPC committees and governments responsible for opening-up shall set up promptly. As a standing institution, a foreign affairs office for opening-up shall be established. To satisfy the requirements of a market economy, governments and departments at all levels shall promote the reform and innovation of administration systems featuring rational relationships, clear responsibilities, simplified hierarchies and high levels of efficiency. All functional departments shall, based on reality, formulate and improve measures and make concerted efforts to fulfill the task.
    3. Intensify external publicity. A unified plan for external publicity shall be developed. The media shall help Liaoning Province to build a fresh new image to attract foreign investors. High-quality promotional materials shall be designed and published to emphasize the province’s new image as an old industrial base in Northeast China. This attractive brand will make Liaoning Province better known and more influential at home and abroad.
    4. Earnestly implement all policies related to opening-up. Objectives and tasks of opening-up shall be analyzed in a scientific and rational way. Related departments of all cities of Liaoning Province shall carefully research measures released in these suggestions and work hard to put them into practice. Related functional departments shall constitute appraisal and bonus distribution methods for opening-up activities. Appraisal regarding the quality of services of related departments, all kinds of development zones and parks of all levels shall be directly associated with evaluating the performance of CPC committees and governments at all levels. A pleasant atmosphere for mind emancipation and sound development shall be created to protect and arouse the initiative of all walks of life. Effective measures shall be taken to bring the level of the opening-up to a new height and expedite the rejuvenation of the old industrial bases in Liaoning Province.