History of the establishment and operation of economic development zones in the Chinese northeastern province Jilin (1991 to present)
Authors:   Institute for Demographic Research – Branch of the Federal Center of Theoretical and Applied Sociology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Makeeva Svetlana B. 
Published: December 2024

The article examines the evolution of economic development zones in the Chinese northeastern province of Jilin from 1991 to the present, based on a study of Chinese-language material from the database of the Chinese Association of Development Zones. The article uses the main historical sources characterizing the history of the founding and functioning of economic development zones in Jilin in the period from 1991 to the present: reports on the opening of economic development zones, materials of inspection trips of representatives of the People's Government of Jilin Province to development zones. The main research methods in preparing the article were: the diachronic method, which
made it possible to present the opening and functioning of economic development zones in Jilin Province as a stageby-stage historical process, and the synchronous method contributed to the study of the totality of various events in the regional economic history of the province in question, related to the founding and activities of economic development zones. As part of the study of the history of the founding and functioning of development zones in Jilin Province, several stages were identified: from 1991 to 1999, from 2000 to 2012. and from 2013 to the present. The history of the regional economic development of Jilin Province since the beginning of the twentieth century was determined by the effective functioning of economic zones. From 1991 to the present, 73 development zones were founded in this province, which were the foundation of the innovative model for the revival of Northeast China. For three decades, the process of creating development zones in Jilin Province was under the control of the State Council of the People's Republic of China and the People's Government of Jilin Province. The study found that from 1991 to the present development zones were the foundation of the innovative revitalization model of Northeast China. By the beginning of the 1990s, Jilin Province was characterized by low rates of economic growth and the predominance of state-owned enterprises. Between 1991 and 1999 various economic development zones were established in Jilin Province, which laid a solid foundation for the transformation of the national economy. In just 12 years, 42 economic zones were opened in the province. Most of the zones specialized in the development of the food and pharmaceutical industries and agriculture. The creation of economic zones in the chemical, metallurgical, textile, woodworking, and automotive industries was supported. Innovative directions in the functioning of economic zones began to appear, such as the production of organic food, restaurant business and tourism, the development and implementation of biotechnologies in agriculture, the production of new energy sources and new materials, industrial art, postal services, and the modern packaging industry. For the economic development of northeastern Jilin Province since 2013 a period of vigorous action has begun to overcome the state of development with low growth rates. In total, from 2013 to the present, 14 economic zones have been opened in Jilin Province, the main activities of which were the production of organic food, the biopharmaceutical industry, and the wood processing industry.