Yunnan and Guizhou GDP surges by 12.6 percent year-on-year in Q1, the highest among all regions

Two provinces in western China have taken a leading position in driving the country's economic growth in the first quarter.

Experts said western regions will continue to be a pillar of recovery, but issues of imbalance and environmental protection should receive more awareness.

Data from Yunnan province showed its GDP rose 12.6 percent year-on-year in the first quarter, the highest among all regions. Guizhou province enjoyed an equal growth rate during the same period.

The country last week reported GDP growth of 7.7 percent year-on-year during the first quarter, down from 7.9 percent in the final quarter of 2012, below economists' forecasts.

"The western regions will surely be a significant driver for the economic recovery and a magnet for investment," said Gao Guoli, deputy director of Land Development and the Regional Economy Research Institute under the National Development and Reform Commission.

The central government has pumped a large amount of funds into western regions over the past decade, which has improved local infrastructure.

The most significant driver of economic growth in western regions remains fixed-asset investment, Gao said.