Ningxia to Spend Billions on Roads, Canals and Wiring

Northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region is to spend 4.7 billion yuan (US$566 million) this year on infrastructure, 700 million yuan (US$84 million) more than last year.

This expenditure aims to improve the economic climate as part of the State's policy of developing China's western regions. Ningxia is in the northwest.

Half the investment will go to highways, water-control facilities and urban construction, according to a local official.

This year, Ningxia will spend 2.6 billion yuan (US$310 million) on five major highway projects, including two expressways.

The local government will also speed up installation of telecommunications wiring. There are eight telephones in Ningxia for every 100 people, exceeding the national average.

To fight a long-standing drought problem, Ningxia has built many dams, canals and reservoirs in recent years. The Shabotou irrigation works is one of the State's 10 key projects in China's west this year and cost 1.3 billion yuan (US$157 million).

Funds for urban construction in Yinchuan, capital of the region, will exceed 3.1 billion yuan (US$373 million) during the 10th Five-Year Plan (2001-05).

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