China | Reforming the north-east

Rustbelt revival

A decade after an explosion of unrest in China’s north-east, a remarkable recovery is under way

|DALIAN, FUXIN, LIAOYANG AND SHENYANG

Correction to this article

TEN years ago, thousands of workers from state-owned factories marched through bleak industrial cities in China's north-eastern rustbelt. The protesters filled streets with chants condemning official corruption and demanding better treatment. “We have a government of hooligans,” read one of their banners. Back then the decaying north-east appeared to be one of China's most unstable regions. Today it is among the fastest-growing, and is relatively free of large-scale unrest. But officials still fret.

This article appeared in the China section of the print edition under the headline "Rustbelt revival"

The vanishing north

From the June 16th 2012 edition

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