The article is devoted to the experience of evaluation of state transformation of economy of cities in Heilongjiang Province of China with coal resources under conditions of depletion of coal deposits and constantly low prices for coal. The characteristics of the main features of the economy and the problems of resource-oriented cities in this province are given – a narrow specialization of the economy, the predominance of the public sector, a reduction in production, weak entrepreneurial initiative, etc. The state Program «National Economic and Social Development Plan of Heilongjiang Province (2017-2022)», aimed at solving these problems, is reviewed, and the main state management measures it envisages are summarized. The dynamics of the economy of four typical «coal towns» of Heilongjiang Province is analyzed on the basis of the official statistical information of the PRC based on the transformation of their gross domestic product. The assessment of the impact of the implementation of the Program on the change in socio-economic development was carried out in more detail using the example of the city of Qitaihe. Based on the analysis of trends in a number of economic, environmental and living standard indicators of the city, it was found that the Program is not effective enough. Its implementation had the best effect on increasing the average per capita income of the population and the state of the environment, but had a weak impact on the growth of the city's economy, the city's budget and investments in the social sphere.