Since the 1980s, the region has been heavily affected by the restructuring of the Chinese economy and the closing and consolidation of many heavy industry State-owned enterprises (SOEs).
[1] It covers three provinces: Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning, collectively referred to as Dongbei, as well as the five eastern prefectures of Inner Mongolia: Xilin Gol, Chifeng, Tongliao, Hinggan and Hulunbuir.
[2] Premier Wen Jiabao held a State Council meeting on 10 September 2003 regarding the issue of reviving northeast China.
The meeting saw the drafting of the document "Certain Opinions Regarding Implementing the Strategies of Reviving the Old Industrial Bases Including the Northeast", which would be jointly disseminated by the Central Committee of the CCP and the State Council in October 2003.
The core of the program is to revitalize the region's traditional industry, while speeding up development in aspects of structural regulation, regional cooperation, economic reform, the construction of an environment-friendly economy, and increased efforts in education, healthcare, and cultural projects.