The Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in northwest China plans to spend 180 billion yuan on conservancy, energy, telecommunications, transportation and other infrastructure facilities in the coming five years.

The move is in line with the country's policy to step up development of the west put forward by Chinese President Jiang Zemin during his tour to Shaanxi in May.

Xinjiang will build two large water control projects in the north, and will plant trees and grass to improve the ecological environment in the south.

Meanwhile, a 4,212-km pipeline from southern Xinjiang to Shanghai will be built to stimulate the development of the natural gas resources in the Tarim Basin. This will ease the energy shortage in the developed Yangtze River Delta in east China.

The State will help Xinjiang build a 300-km railway line from Jinghe to Helgus and extend the Turpan-Kashi railway line in southern Xinjiang to areas bordering Khirgistan. The 1,451- kilometer railway line opened to traffic in May.

Western China, which includes 10 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions, covers an area of 5.4 million square kilometers, accounting for 56 percent of the country's total.

The area's population totals 285 million, making up 22.8 percent of the nation's total. (Xinhua)