Full text: Report on China's economic, social development plan

5. We will optimize the pattern of regional development, make development more balanced, and raise the level of urbanization.

1) We will continue to implement the master strategy for regional development.

We will steadfastly give priority to thoroughly implementing the strategy of large-scale development of the western region in the master strategy for regional development, carry out the major tasks and policies for developing the western region in the new decade, and formulate the twelfth five-year plan for large-scale development of the western region. We will issue a list of industries in the western region encouraged by the state; give greater support to the development of infrastructure and ecological and environmental conservation; promote the development of industries that can take advantage of local strengths; accelerate the development of national key experimental zones for development and opening up; implement the policies to promote leapfrog development of Tibet, Tibetan ethnic areas in Sichuan, Yunnan, Gansu and Qinghai, as well as Xinjiang; and launch demonstration projects for ecologically oriented development in the western region.

We will improve the modern industrial system in northeast China, compile the twelfth five-year plan for revitalizing the region, organize the implementation of the regional cooperation program between China and Russia and the plan for the ecological conservation and economic transformation of the forest regions in the Greater and Lesser Hinggan Mountains, and carry out trials on sustainable development in resource-dependent cities.

We will thoroughly implement the plan for energizing development of the central region; conduct research and formulate policies and measures to support the development of the region in the new period; make the most of its geographical advantage as a connecting link between the east and the west; and further strengthen the role of city clusters in the region and the economic belt along the middle reaches of the Yangtze River in driving the development of their surrounding areas.

We will actively support the eastern region in its efforts to make innovations in systems and mechanisms and transform the pattern of development, and in continuing to take the lead in development.

We will give more assistance to old revolutionary base areas, ethnic minority areas, border areas and poor areas; intensively launch the campaign to develop border areas and improve people's lives there; launch the project to alleviate poverty through development in contiguous areas with particular difficulties; and do a good job of giving people work instead of relief subsidies and relocating people from inhospitable areas as a poverty relief measure.

2) We will stimulate growth of development priority zones (DPZs). We will fully implement the national plan for DPZs; make detailed policies with guidance tailored to each zone; better coordinate state programs, regional plans and the national plan for DPZs; and establish a sound performance evaluation system. We will also accelerate the compilation of provincial-level DPZ plans.

3) We will actively yet prudently carry out urbanization. We will compile and implement a plan to stimulate the sound development of urbanization, and rationally designate the functions, industrial distribution and development boundaries of large, medium-sized and small cities as well as towns. At the same time, we need to take into full consideration the needs for employment, education, social security, medical care and low-income housing of rural migrant workers in cities, and systematically carry out the work of allowing people who have left agriculture for other work and meet the conditions for settling in cities to become urban residents.