On Implementation of Strategy for Large-scale Development of Western Regions

Our Commentator's article, entitled "Development Enthusiasm Be Directed to Central Committee's Guidelines", suggests that the enthusiasm of the cadres and masses in general for the massive development of western regions be led up to the CPC Central Committee's guiding principles. Thinking should be unified and the initiative of various quarters be properly guided, protected and brought into play. The commentary runs as follows:

At the turn of the century when we are about to begin implementing the third-step strategic plan for China's modernization drive, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Jiang Zemin at the core, with great foresight, has lost no time in calling for implementation of the strategy for the large-scale development of western regions and accelerating the development of the central and western regions. This major decision, taken by our Party who has a good command of the whole situation and faces the new century, has greatly inspired the people of the whole country, especially the general run of the people in the western regions, a wave of enthusiasm for the massive development of the western region is surging across the vast expanse of China. We should pay attention to promptly directing the enthusiasm of the cadres and masses at large onto the guidelines of the Party Central Committee, unify their thinking and properly guide, protect and develop the initiative of various quarters.

In recent years, the Party Central Committee has made a series of important instructions concerning the strategy for the large-scale development of the western regions, the principles of the Central Committee are the programs guiding us in our implementation of the strategy for the massive development of western regions. General Secretary Jiang Zemin and Premier Zhu Rongji have made speeches on many occasions, profoundly expounding on the aim and significance in carrying out this strategy, and have given many concrete instructions concerning this. We should study these conscientiously and have a profound grasp of them. Whether in the central and western regions, or in the eastern regions, people should establish the overall and strategic points of view and, from the height of reinvigorating the economy of the entire country and realizing the goal of national modernization, fully understand their important significance and unify their ideology and actions in line with the Central committee's guiding principles and strategic decisions.

In carrying out the massive development of the western regions, we should, ideologically, first pay attention to stressing "persistence" in doing the following six aspects of work, i.e., proceeding persistently from reality, acting in accordance with the objective law, making active progress, acting according to our ability, stressing actual results and advancing in a planned and systematic way; persistently giving prominence to key points, having something done and leaving others undone, giving play to strong points in light of local conditions, integrating accelerated development with readjustment to the economic structure; persistently basing ourselves on the present and looking forward to the future, and combining solution of current outstanding problems with long-term development objectives; persistently making overall planning and stressing mutual promotion, coordinating the development of the central and western regions with the further advancement of the eastern coastal regions; persistently giving overall consideration, engaging in scientific planning, and incorporating the objectives, steps, policies and measures for the implementation of the massive development of western regions into the 10th Five-year Plan for the country's national economic and social development and the long-range program; persistently giving play to political superiority, stimulating the enthusiasm of various quarters, there should be both support from the State and various quarters, and the spirit of self-reliance displayed and hard struggle waged by the vast number off cadres and masses in central and western regions. At present and for a period of time to come, acceleration of infrastructure construction should be regarded as the foundation of development and the strengthening of protection and construction of the ecological environment as the basic measures for development, a good grasp of the readjustment of the industrial structure as the key to development, the development of science and technology, and education and personnel training as important conditions for development, and the deepening of reform and expansion of opening as the powerful motive force of development.

Why is it necessary to direct the development enthusiasm onto the Central Committee's guiding principles? It's because the large-scale development of western regions is a task concerning the overall situation, the general strategy and the major concept relating to the country's economic and social development, and not a local work, so the task must be subordinated to the Central Committee's unified arrangement and proceed in a planned and step-by-step manner, one must not administrate in his own way, or go his own way, plans made and construction projects started, especially important ones, must be incorporated into the State's long-term program, given overall consideration and included in overall arrangement, local and short-term interests must be subordinated to overall and long-range interests.

Implementation of the large-scale development of western regions is a gigantic system project, as well as an arduous historical mission, it requires the sense of urgency and mental preparation for long-term hard struggle. The key to directing the mass enthusiasm onto the Central Committee's 'guiding principles lies in fulfillment of these requirements: In the process of implementing the strategy for the large-scale development of western regions, we must always show respect for the objective law, the economic law and the farmers' aspirations and, in a down-to-earth manner, we must persist in doing everything in light of reality, we must not engage in unrealistic formality, refrain from carrying out low-level duplicated construction, and from arbitrary collection of charges unchecked apportionment of expenses and abuse of fund-raising, and we must not increase burdens on enterprises and farmers.

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