The GDP of Dandong's five border areas (including counties, county-level cities and districts) was 71.65 billion yuan ($11.23 billion) in 2010, with the GDP per capita reaching 40,000 yuan ($6,268), according to data publicized on the Boundary Economy Promotion Program Forum held on August 22 in Dandong, Liaoning province.

In Liaoning, the five counties (county-level cities, districts) that are included in the program - Kuandian Manchu autonomous county, Donggang city, Zhen'an district, Zhenxing district, Yuanbao district - are all from Dandong. In the second half of 1999, the State Ethnic Affairs Commission, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the Ministry of Finance co-launched the boundary economy promotion program. Dandong became the nation's sole pilot city. The aforementioned five border areas were also enlisted in the program.

Dandong's mountainous border areas boast forestry and water resources. The province has developed Kuandian into a pilot county for the forest undergrowth industry. The city also put a lot of effort in the past decade to support the aquaculture and processing industries in Donggang city, the agricultural cultivation and processing industries in Kuandian county, and the urban vegetable provision project. It also plans to establish 100 technical training centers for ethnic minorities to promote competitive industries in border areas.

The program was carried out smoothly among ethnic groups in border areas. These areas focused on the development of edible mushrooms, Chinese medicinal herbs, nut and fruit-tree planting, sea farming and livestock breeding to enrich the lives of local people.

In 2010, the output value for farming, forestry, animal husbandry, sideline production and fishery industries hit 13 billion yuan ($2.04 billion), an increase of 8.81 billion yuan ($1.38 billion) from 1999.

Edited by Chen Zhilin and Tania Lee