Liaoning's new party chief, Xu Kunlin, a technocrat with a background in economics and state planning, is tasked with revitalizing China's slowest-growing province, which recorded 3.7% growth in 2025. Xu aims to combat corruption and bureaucratic inertia, which have made the northeastern industrial province, known as Dongbei, notoriously difficult for investors. He has publicly criticized officials for prioritizing promotions over service and vowed to dismantle the "guanxi" culture, where political connections trump fair competition. To foster a more pro-business environment, leaders are now accountable for resolving legacy disputes, with unresolved cases to be reported to provincial leadership after July 1, and disciplinary inspectors are being trained to handle business complaints.