Northeast China's Liaoning Province and Hong Kong signed 18 cooperation contracts valued at US$1.28 billion. 
 
The cooperation projects cover infrastructure building, property, manufacturing, agriculture, service and trade.

The visiting Liaoning delegation, headed by Governor Bo Xilai, welcomes investment and cooperation from Hong Kong on 63 projects valued at US$24.5 billion, which include agriculture, science and technology, education, major engineering projects and infrastructure installation, urban reconstruction, property, commerce and agriculture projects.

Bo said the central government's strategy of rejuvenating the old industrial bases in northeast China has offered opportunities for speeding up development of Liaoning Province.

Liaoning, one of the three provinces in China's northeast, is the nation's industrial belt, with a high concentration of such heavy industries as steel, coal mining, shipbuilding and various forms of machinery manufacturing.

Bo said that 10 years ago when he made his first trip to Hong Kong as mayor of coastal Dalian City of Liaoning Province, the city got US$2.8 billion of investment from Hong Kong. Now, half of the new buildings in Dalian city have been financed by Hong Kong investment.

He believed that the cooperation between Liaoning and Hong Kong enjoys big potential and the joint efforts will create new opportunities for both sides.

(CRI November 20, 2003)