China’s State Council gave the green light to a Heilongjiang provincial project to establish a new area in the city of Harbin, on Dec 22, which covers a 493-square-kilometer area north of the Songhua River and includes the city’s Songbei, Hulan and Pingfang districts.

China plans to use this new area to increase its cooperation with Russia and as a new means of modernizing the Northeast and revitalizing old industrial bases in heavily industrialized Heilongjiang, Liaoning and Jilin provinces. The area is expected to accord with the central government’s plans for the province and its Belt and Road program.

The emphasis there will be on innovation, coordination, opening-up and environmental-protection, and the State Council has asked the provincial government to take charge of it and to comply with general guidelines for land use, urbanization, town planning, environmental protection, water resources, and other areas subject to approval.

The State Council says it will offer its support and help deal with any problems in getting the new area up and running.