A foundation-laying ceremony for an inland port in the city of Tonghua, Jilin province, was held early this month. The development, which cost CNY300 million, will be open by the end of 2011. The inland port is a leading project in the Yalu River Economic Development Zone and the first to be equipped with bonded facilities, a customs office, inspection building, container freight station and special railway. The port is expected to be a distribution and transfer center for the surrounding area. It will increase the cooperation between Tonghua in Jilin province  and Dandong in Liaoning province. A complete transport system of railways and highways connecting the port will be in place next year. This is expected to give Dandong, the nearest city with access to the sea out of 13 cities in the eastern part of Northeast China, a greater edge. Dandong is the largest center for trade with North Korea. In the past years four railways, four expressways, two seaports, and one international airport were built in and around Dandong. Liang Qidong of the Liaoning Social Sciences Academy’s Provincial Research Institute, says the completed network will make Dandong a veritable logistics hub for all of North-east Asia.