On July 1, a State Council meeting, presided over by Premier Wen Jiabao, approved the development plan of the coastal economic belt in Liaoning province. This economic belt includes Dalian, Dandong, Jinzhou, Yingkou, Panjin and Huludao, six cities situated along the coast of Liaoning province.

These cities are located along the Bohai Bay rim and are endowed with a number of geographic advantages, making them ideally positioned, from an economic point of view, to benefit the whole of Northeast Asia.

All six have access to considerable natural resources, have deceloped a sound industrial basis and possess efficient transport networks.