The People's Daily, published an editorial Saturday calling for accelerating the development of the country's vast western regions. Implementing the strategy of developing the central and western regions represents a major decision of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in the new century, the editorial says.

It will be of great significance for a sustainable growth of the national economy, the coordinated economic development of all regions, enhanced unity among all nationalities, and social and border stability.

We must seize this historic opportunity and do a solid job in carrying out the Party's major decision which will have a far- reaching impact, the editorial says.

As an important step in China's reform and opening up and socialist modernization drive, the strategy of developing the west is of landmark significance, it notes.

Now, conditions and opportunities have matured for implementing the strategy, the editorial says.

The past two decades have witnessed the rapid growth of the eastern regions, which has accumulated much capital, talent, technology, and management experience.

Whiling pursuing further growth, the east is also willing to support the development of the west, which in turn will offer the east rich resources and huge market potentials.

More importantly, since the establishment of New China over 50 years ago, the country's overall strength has improved markedly, and now boasts enough economic capability to extend further support to the west, says the editorial.

In addition, the CPC has become more experienced in applying economic means to the country's construction; and China's socialist system also provides great advantages in pooling all forces into major projects.

People in both the eastern and western regions have every reason to believe that western development will be a great success, it says.

The editorial notes that in the process of developing the west, good wishes must be combined with actual conditions, and the government's macro-economic tuning must be combined with market laws.

As a huge undertaking, western development must be planned in a scientific and meticulous way, and carried forward in a step-by- step manner, the editorial says.

In the process, special efforts should be devoted to building the regions' infrastructure, ecological protection, industrial restructuring, and the development of science and technology and education, it stresses.

At present, China's reform and opening up and socialist modernization drive have arrived at a new stage, and developing the west is a major feature of this new stage, which will have a direct bearing on the country's long-term development, stability, and prosperity.

The editorial expresses the belief that with the CPC's leadership and the efforts of the entire nation, the central and western regions of China will surely achieve better and faster development in the new century.