Premier Zhu Rongji has set forth some major objectives for the implementation of the strategy to develop China's western areas in his government work report to the Third Session of the Ninth National People's Congress, which opened here this morning.

For the present and a period of time to come, the focuses should be placed on the following:

-- To accelerate infrastructure development. While mainly concentrating on highways, efforts should be made to build more railways, airports and gas trunk pipelines. Efforts should also be beefed up for the growth of electric power grids and telecommunications, radio and television facilities as well as infrastructure development in large and medium-sized cities. It is particularly important that prominence should be placed on the rational exploitation of water resources and on water conservation.

-- To conserve and improve ecological environment effectively. Greater efforts need to be made to complete the projects in protection of natural forests along the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and the upper and middle reaches of the Yellow River. Terraced fields on steep slopes should be returned to forests or pastures in a planned and systematic way. In light of China's relatively ample supply of grain and other farm produce, forests and pastures should be developed at the expense of grain production in accordance with the comprehensive measures for returning cultivated land to forests or pastures, closing off hillsides to facilitate afforestation, giving relief to local residents in the form of grain, and encouraging individual contractors to manage concerned areas. Plans should be worked out to provide effective policy guidance for this work, respect the wishes of farmers and carry out experiments, gradually spread successful new practices, and refrain from rushing headlong into action. Any further effort to clear forests and pastures to reclaim land should be resolutely stopped.

-- In light of local geography, climate, resources and other conditions, different regions should focus on developing strong industries with local characteristics as well as high and new technology industries where conditions permit.

-- Science, technology and education should be vigorously developed. The translation of scientific and technological advances into productive forces should be accelerated; people should be trained in different fields at different levels of expertise; and the overall quality of the workforce should be improved further.

-- Efforts should be made to open China wider still to the outside world, improve the investment environment and do all possible to attract foreign funds and import foreign technology and managerial expertise.

Zhu Rongji said that the large-scale development of the central and western regions of the country is a major policy decision made by the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee for the new century in accordance with Deng Xiaoping's strategy for the country's modernization drive, which encompasses the development of both the coastal areas and the interior.

"This is crucial to the efforts to boost domestic demand, promote sustained national economic growth and bring about coordinated development of regional economies for eventual common prosperity as well as to strengthen national unity, safeguard social stability and consolidate border defense," he said. The premier asked the eastern region to continue to take advantage of its strong points to constantly improve the performance of local economy and its competitiveness so as to facilitate its own development, and areas where conditions permit should take the lead in modernizing.

The eastern region should increase support to the central and western areas in various ways, such as joint development, cooperation for mutual benefit and providing coordinated assistance.

Implementing this great policy decision is a long-term and systematic project. "We need not only a sense of urgency, but also a comprehensive plan focusing on key areas. We must carry out the plan step by step," Zhu stressed.

There are 10 provinces, autonomous regions and municipality in west China, including Gansu, Qinghai, Ningxia, Xinjiang, and Tibet, with a total area of some 5.4 million square kilometers and a population of 285 million. The average gross domestic product (GDP) in the resources-rich but underdeveloped region is only half that of the eastern region.

In the early 1980s, Deng Xiaoping, China's reform architect, urged the central and western parts of China to assist the coastal areas, while the eastern areas will make more efforts to help the central and western China at a certain stage. Now, the time is due.