China's East and West to Reduce Economic GapThe gap in economic development between China's eastern and western regions will be sharply reduced within 30 years, a report released on June 22 by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) predicted.The per-capita GDP of the western areas will reach 3,000-5,000 U.S. dollars according to current value of money in 2030, said the report conducted by the CASS's Institute of Econometrics and Techno-Economics. "People will lead a comparatively well-off life," after the western development plan has been underway for a few decades, the report claimed. In the next 30 years, western China is scheduled to build a complete infrastructure network in industry, education and information as well as a convenient communication network between cities, said the report. The manufacturing industry will rely on knowledge and technology rather than on resources. Agriculture and forestry will become more eco-friendly, the report said. In the first phase, from 2000 to 2010, China will focus on creating a favorable environment for investment and try to narrow the income gap between east and west. The report predicted that the underdeveloped western areas will wipe out poverty in the 2006-2010 period and secure the money needed for further development. |
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