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No SEZs in Developing West China: Official
China will not follow its past practice of setting up special economic zones (SEZs) in its campaign to develop the western part.
Li Zibin, deputy head of the Office for Developing the West under the State Council, made the remark Friday at the first press conference during the Western Forum of China in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province.
Li explained when China built its first group of four special economic zones in Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Shantou and Xiamen in 1980, the country was in a transitional period from a planned economy to a market economy and it was necessary to establish the SEZs to emancipate people's mind and gain experience.
China later added Hainan Island Province and Pudong New District to that list of the SEZs.
"Today's situations are quite different from then," said Li. He added that there is not much of a need to build SEZs like the country did in the 1980s in its drive in exploring the west because China has basically put in place a socialist market economy system through two decades of reform and opening-up efforts and has gained plenty of experiences.
The Western Forum of China began today and will end on October 22.
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