China Makes Good Beginning in Western Area Development: OfficialsChina has made a good beginning in carrying out the Western Area Development Strategy (WADS), Chinese officials said at the Seminar on Investment Environment of China's Western Area (SIECWA) held Friday in Singapore.Zhao Ai, deputy director-general of the Comprehensive Planning Department of the Office of Leading Group for the Western Region Development under the State Council of China, said that there has been a good start in the development of China's western region since the Chinese government adopted the WADS on the turning point of the new century. The pace for infrastructure construction has been quickened, the investments in western area are increasing rapidly and the work for protecting and improving ecological environment has been strengthened, economic restructuring is making steady progress, he said. Deng Zhan, deputy director-general of the Foreign investment Administration of the Ministry of Foreign Trade & Economic Cooperation, said in the first four months of this year, 500 foreign invested enterprises have been set up in China's western area, representing a 19.33 percent increase over the same period of last year. Contractual foreign capital reached 1,294 million U.S. dollars, rising 19.37 percent over a year ago but actually paid in capital amounted to 335 million dollars, he said. According to them, investment environment in China's western area has improved significantly and the Chinese government will further adopt more measures to intensify the construction of infrastructure, improve ecological environment, adjust industrial structure and facilitate science, education and culture development. During the period of the year 2001 to 2005, the emphasis of WADS is to intensify investment in the construction of infrastructure and improve ecological environment, to achieve great development in the fields of science, technology and education. The seminar was jointly-hosted by the Chinese Embassy to Singapore and the Trade Development Board of Singapore and supported by Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao. |
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