| The western part of China is home to one-third
of the country's administrative provinces and autonomous regions.
It covers an area of 5.4 million square meters and has a combined
population of over 280 million, making up 56 percent and 23
percent of the national total respectively. The region used
to be described as "barren, remote, poor, large, valuable and
beautiful." It lacks transportation facilities, and lags behind
other parts of the country in terms of development and economy.
The GNP per capita here accounts for just half of the average
national level. But the west boasts vast stretches of land,
abundant resources and beautiful scenery.
The top Chinese leader Jiang Zeming put forward
the guidelines for accelerating the development of the west
on June 17, 1999,stressing that a coordinated development
between the population, resources, environment, and economy
and society should be achieved by steps through inputs of
domestic and overseas capital as well as technical personnel.
On March 5, 2000, Premier Zhu Rongji pointed out in his government
work report that to implement the strategy of developing the
west is of great significance to \arabic\index.htmnding domestic demand,
promoting sustained growth of the national economy and coordinated
economic development between various regions, and finally
to the achievement of a common prosperity.
|
