The national strategic western China's development is going to be put on agenda of the NPC (National People's Congress) and CPPCC (Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference) 3rd sessions to be on in March in Beijing.

Important discussions will be held at the two sessions on the following three topics regarding western China's development:

First, how is western China to be developed? Infrastructure construction, ecological environment protection, a restructuring of industries and development of science, technology and education will be planned as five major areas to be developed, following the line of sustainable development and a summary of experiences of success and failures met

Second, how is western China to be supported by the country's east? An overall view is needed in doing things. This involves the use of capital, technology, personnel and launching of new industrial lines and preventing moving obsolete industries from the east into the west. Mutual support is to be stressed for it is indispensable for development of the country's west and east in the past and the future as well.

How foreign investments are to be effectively utilized forms another important theme to be discussed at the two top-level sessions of China. So far, an insignificant amount of foreign capital has been introduced into development of the country's western region. Statistics show that of foreign investments approved by the Chinese government and the amount to be actually used in western China has been placed merely at less than four percent China's used.��