Deng Xiaoping's Hometown Increasingly Merged into Economic GlobalizationSichuan province in southwest China, hometown of late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, has been significantly affected by economic globalization over the past years.Deng Xiaoping is reputed as the general designer of China's reforms and opening-up drive, which started 20 years ago, and as the bearer of better living standards to most Chinese people. However, due to an unfavorable geographical location, about 10 provinces and autonomous regions in the western part of the country, including Sichuan province, were left behind. China is now launching a massive campaign, called developing the west, in order to help the west region catch up with the rest of China. Currently, Sichuan has 136 trade partners around the world, and 188 foreign joint ventures utilizing foreign capital of 6.8 billion U.S. dollars, according to Zhou Yongkang, secretary of the provincial committee of China's Communist Party. Sichuan will continue to revise investment policies to safeguard the interest of investors and to create a more favorable investment environment, he said at the Western Forum of China today. Foreign investors are encouraged to invest in energy, finance and hi-tech industries here through direct investment, purchasing stocks and so on, he added. Sichuan, once closed off from the rest of the world by its geographical condition, has reported great improvement over the past years. Its expressway, for example, has already reached 1,000 kilometers, and several airports are near completion. |
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