China briefs on 11th 5-Year Plan for west China

Source: CCTV.com | 03-01-2007 15:07

China has briefed the media on its 11th five-year plan for developing its western region. Officials identified areas of focus, and spoke about further opening up.

China's senior official in charge of national development and reform, Wang Jinxiang, said the stress is on improving rural and urban living standards in the western region.

Further development is also slated for Infrastructure construction and environmental protection.

Targets have been set for key industries, and efforts towards providing adequate public services.

Wang pointed out one of the biggest obstacles to development.

Wang said, "The level of opening-up and foreign investment in the Western region is not high. Foreign investment is about three percent, compared to the national total. Whether we can sustain and push forward the development in the western region, a key element lies in improving the level of opening-up."

Wang said foreign investors are entitled to more relaxed preferential policies in the western regions than elsewhere in the country.

He listed some areas for Chinese and foreign companies to consider, including the energy and chemical industries, natural resources and mining, and agriculture.

Harsh natural conditions and inadequate transport links have kept China's western regions behind the prosperous east.

To help remedy the situation, the central government initiated the strategy of West China Development over six years ago.

The plan covers about 370 million people in twelve provinces, autonomous regions and a municipality.

Editor:Du Xiaodan