At a time of heated debate about the provision of new airport capacity in the south east, Manchester has moved ahead and attracted Chinese investment for its Airport City project.
That is clever because it opens the way for direct flights from the airport to China and sets a pattern of relationship with the Far East, which has also been an objective of Peel Holdings in its massive scheme for the Wirral and Liverpool.
Making it work by pulling in Chinese companies and investors.
What is interesting is that Manchester continues to work on an aggressive and ambitious programme that has moved steadily forward for years to upgrade the city and give it an international standing. This goal now looks as if it will be achieved.
Purely on the development side, there is the prospect of a new district on the site of the ITV studio in a scheme by the city and Allied London. Surely this will be something to match Spinningfields. MediaCity goes from strength to strength and is already projecting the image of the North West nationwide and internationally through the BBC.
Hopefully the growing confidence in the North West, and the rest of Northern England, will be translated into an economy better balanced with the southern part of the country.
We have already seen the exercise of political muscle by northern cities in telling the Labour Party not to oppose the high speed rail link (HS2).