Dalian is a thriving and attractive coastal city. Long a home for Japanese and Korean investors, Dalian’s proximity to the large industrial heartland of Chinas’ north-east makes it strategically vital to the region. About 30 percent of the foreign investment in the city comes from Japan. Major business attractions include its large port, skilled workforce, and several excellent development zones. Dalian is a modern, well-run city—the streets are clean and the facilities top-class, with an educated and reasonably affluent young population. Long a home for Japanese and Korean investors, Dalian's proximity to the large industrial heartland of Chinas' north-east makes it strategically vital to the region. About 30 percent of the foreign investment in the city comes from Japan. Major business attractions include its large port, skilled workforce, and several excellent development zones. Dalian is a modern, well-run city-the streets are clean and the facilities top-class, with an educated and reasonably affluent young population.