Business delegations from western China will be given four privileges if they attend the China Beijing International High-Tech Industrial Week, which is slated for May 8-12.

This was learned at a press conference here this afternoon sponsored by the organizing committee for the event, the third of its kind.

The four privileges are: Missions from western China will be given free services if they hold economic and trade talks; for press conferences, they will be given three free-of-charge business booths and enjoy a 40 percent discount for renting more business booths if they participate in the exhibitions; and they will get a 40 percent discount for all charged activities organized by the organizing committee.

The organizing committee will send four delegations to different parts of the country to promote the high-tech week. The first delegation, led by Duan Bingren, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the Beijing Municipal People's Congress, set off today for western China, according to today's press conference. Three other delegations -- bound respectively for northeastern, eastern and southern China -- will leave soon.

Western China including nine provinces and autonomous regions and one municipality, has a total area of 5.4 million square kilometers and a population of 285 million, accounting for 56 percent and 23 percent, respectively, of the nation's total. The central government has been focusing on a strategy of developing western China, in a bid to narrow the economic gaps between different parts of the country and make good use of natural resources in the vast western region.