On October 20, Liaoning Provincial Government, Dalian Municipal Government and China Merchants Group jointly signed a strategic cooperation agreement on the development and construction of Taiping Bay in Dalian, and held a promotion conference of Taiping Bay Cooperation and Innovation Zone.

Under the witness of Weng Jieming, Deputy Director of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC), Chen Shaowang, Mayor of Dalian City, Miao Jianmin, Chairman of China Merchants Group, and Tang Zujun, Deputy Director of the Bureau of Enterprise Reform of SASAC, Cui Fenglin, Deputy Governor of Liaoning Province, Jin Guowei, Deputy Mayor of Dalian, and Li Baian, Executive Vice President of China Merchants Group, signed the agreement on behalf of the three parties. At the Taiping Bay Cooperation and Innovation Zone Promotion Conference, Miao Jianmin stated that the cooperation and development of the Taiping Bay Cooperation and Innovation Zone by Liaoning Provincial Government, Dalian Municipal Government and China Merchants Group was a concrete action to implement the instruction of creating a new frontier for opening up. Under the new development pattern of "domestic and international circulations", the cooperation was a major measure to boost the revitalisation of Northeast and Liaoning, as well as an essential measure to boost the reform of SOEs in Northeast. He hoped that sibling SOEs, state-owned enterprises of various provinces and all walks of life would come to Taiping Bay to join hands with Liaoning Province, Dalian City and China Merchants Group to build a bright future for Taiping Bay's "New Shekou" in Northeast Asia.