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Wen says China will continue to develop western region
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-10-16 11:59
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said Friday that China had made great achievements in developing its western region in the last ten years and it would unswervingly stick to the West Development Strategy adopted in 2000. Wen also said the government was willing to continue cooperating with other economies in promoting the development. Wen made the remarks in a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the 10th Western China International Economy and Trade Fair and the Second West China International Cooperation Forum in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province. "Since last year, China's western regions have suffered the double blow of a big natural disaster and the global economic crisis. In a basket of measures to cope with the economic crisis, China continues unswervingly to push forward with the West Development Strategy," he said. More than 43 percent of investment allocated by the central government to expand domestic demand and fight the financial crisis had been used for projects to improve living standards, infrastructure projects, post-disaster reconstruction and technological innovation in western regions, he said. In the wake of the financial crisis, China rolled out an economic stimulus package with a 4 trillion yuan investment plan in 2009 and 2010 to finance massive projects nationwide. In the first half, total gross domestic product in the western region achieved an annualized growth rate of 11.8 percent, he added. Nationally, the economy expanded 7.1 percent over the same period. The West Development Strategy is a policy adopted by the Chinese government in January 2000 to help underdeveloped western region catch up with the more prosperous eastern region. The 12 western provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities have a combined population of about 370 million. They include Sichuan, Yunnan, Gansu and Shaanxi provinces, which were badly hit by the 8.0-magnitude earthquake on May 12 last year. In the last 10 years, the central government had financed more than 3.5 trillion yuan ($512.4 billion) to support development of the western region, Wen said. This year alone, China planned to invest 468.9 billion yuan in projects to boost development of the western region, the National Development and Reform Commission said on Monday. During the nine years from 2000 to 2008, GDP of the western region jumped from 1.66 trillion yuan to 5.82 trillion yuan, at an annual average growth rate of 11.7 percent, said Wen. More than 9.54 million rural residents had been lifted from poverty in the western region since 1999, and the country would mark the 10th anniversary of the strategy next January, he said. The government was outlining new policies to support the West Development Strategy in the next ten years. Wen presented a four-point proposal for more cooperation with 14 countries neighboring the western region in such sectors as energy and transportation, trade and investment as well as energy saving and environmental protection. The opening ceremony was also attended by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, Cote d'Ivoire Prime Minister Guillaume Soro, Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka, Timor-Leste Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao and Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung. Following Wen, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen also spoke at the opening ceremony.
The five-day fair, also known as West China Expo, is co-sponsored by departments of the central government and 12 western provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities. Initiated in 2000, the annual State-level economic event has become a key platform for trade expansion, investment promotion, regional cooperation and diplomatic exchange. The 10th West China Expo boasts more than 10,000 exhibition booths. Up to 50,000 delegates from 55 countries and regions, 36 Chinese provinces and cities, as well as the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps will participate at the fair, according to the organizer.
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