CPC Central Committee Calls for Speeding up Western Development

China will further step up the development of the resource-rich western areas to promote a coordinated development among different regions of the country, according to the Proposal of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee for Formulating the 10th Five-year Plan (2001-2005) for National Economic and Social development.

The implementation of the western development strategy is of great significance to the country's economic development, national solidarity and social stability. It is also a key step in achieving the country's strategic goal of building a well-to-do society in all areas of life in the new century.

The proposal points out that western development is an "arduous" historic task, which should be fulfilled with both a sense of urgency and long-term effort.

"Within five-to-ten year's time, China expects to achieve a breakthrough in the infrastructure construction and environmental development in the western region to create a good start for western development," the proposal says.

To achieve these goals, the proposal says, more efforts should be made to build key projects in communications, water conservation, telecommunications, power and urban facilities as well as the project to pipe natural gas and electricity in the west to the eastern areas.

Concrete measures should be taken step by step to improve the ecological environment and production conditions in the west, the proposal notes.

The Chinese government will increase funds in this regard to support the implementation of the western development strategy, and more funds will be channeled to the region populated by ethnic minorities, the proposal stresses.

The proposal urges that the industrial and urbanization process be promoted and new economic growth opportunities pursued to fully tap the western areas' resource potential.

As a complementary region to the west, the eastern areas are urged to play a more significant role in driving the country's economic development. Some areas in the east with better development conditions will be encouraged to achieve the modernization goals ahead of others, according to the proposal.



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