Abstract: Based on the General Theory on the Transformation of Northeast China published in 2020, a new exploration has been conducted on the “theory of strengthening the revitalization of Northeast China” from the combination of theory and practice in response to the originally proposed “three rust belts”. The proposition of transforming the “three rust belts” into “four new breakthroughs” has been put forward. Its main points mainly cover the following four aspects. To strengthen the revitalization, efforts should be “added” to the institutional aspect to earnestly promote the “gene reconstruction” of the institutional system in Northeast China and truly build a highlevel socialist market economic system. In response to the “structural rust belt”, it is recommended to take the “four expandings” (namely, “expanding demand”, “expanding digitalization”, “expanding regions”, and “expanding green development”) as the basic ideas and focus on pioneering and innovating in four aspects of the economic structure. To strengthen the revitalization, efforts should be “intensified” in terms of opening up, taking “opening up to the north” as an opportunity to build Northeast China into the countrys “new frontier for opening up to the outside world”. In response to the “rust belt of civilized patterns”, with cultivating civilization in the new era as the strategic orientation, the inclusiveness and integration of Chinese and foreign civilizations should be effectively promoted in Northeast China.

Key words: revitalization of the northeast; “three rust belts”; theory of strengthening revitalization; four new breakthroughs; gene reconstruction; opening up to the north in the “four expandings”