III. Priority areas of the Western Region Development Program

In the implementation of the Western Region Development Program, priority should be given to those areas along communication arteries and around pivotal cities with relatively better economic conditions, considerable geographic advantage and intensive population. The development of the Western Region should rely on communication arteries such as the Asia-Europe continental bridge, the Yangtze River waterway and the routes to the sea in Southwest China while taking full advantage of the role of major cities of the Western Region in centralization and radiation. These communication arteries will specifically serve the Region by linking up major cities to gradually form a network of inter-provincial economic zones such as the area spreading along the western part of Longhai Railway and Lanzhou-Xinjiang Railway, the upper reach of the Yangtze River, the Nanning-Guiyang-Kunming zone, and the formation of these economic zones will promote in turn promote the development of surrounding area and rural areas. Efforts should be made to guide the movement of surplus rural labor and population to develop urban economy, develop cities of all sizes in accordance with local conditions, speed up the construction of small cities and towns and step up the level of urbanization.

1. The economic zone along the western part of Longhai Railway and Lanzhou-Xinjiang Railway

Relying on communication arties such as the Longhai and Lanzhou-Xinjiang railways and the highway connecting Lianyungang and Huo'erguosi, major cities located along the Asia-Europe continental bridge including Xi'an, Lanzhou, Urumqi, Huhhot, Yinchuan and Xi'ning should play a pivotal role to support the development of Northwest China by taking full advantage of their economic and technological strength. Active efforts should be made to develop energy, non-ferrous metal and petrochemical industries and tourism on the basis of resources with competitive edge; light industries, food and pharmacy using agricultural products with local characteristics as their main raw materials; hi-tech industries with competitive edge such as biological engineering, electronic information, aerospace and new material; promote the restructuring of traditional industries; accelerate the development of service industries; and enhance the all-round economic strength and technological innovation capacity of pivotal cities. Taking advantage of the fact that communication arteries link up cities, efforts should be also made to develop the Guanzhong region of Shaanxi, Lanzhou Baiyin economic zone of Gansu, the north slope economic zone of Mt. Tianshan and Kuerle region in Xinjiang, areas along the Yellow River in Ningxia, East Qinghai and Geermu region, Hetao region of Inner Mongolia and production zones of energy and chemical in Shanxi, Shaanxi and the western part of Inner Mongolia. With the construction of key projects such as the West-East Power Transmission Project, West-East Gas Pipeline Project and projects of ecological improvement, the economic ties connecting the Western Region with the eastern and central regions should be strengthened, promoting the rational layout of productivity and ecological balance and pushing forward economic and technical exchange and cooperation with Central Asia.

2. The economic zone of the upper reach of the Yangtze River

Major cities located along the Yangtze River such as Chongqing and Chengdu should play a pivotal role in the development of Sichuan and Chongqing, by relying on communication arteries including the Yangtze River waterway, Shanghai-Chengdu highway and railroads along the Yangtze River. Active efforts should be made to develop service industries including communications, trade, finance and information service, accelerate the development of food, equipment manufacturing, electronics, traditional Chinese medicine and biological pharmacy and tourism etc., bring into full play the role of existing industries, and speed up the restructuring, transform and development of the national defense science and technology industry. With agricultural advantage made a full play, in the industrialized operation of agriculture and agricultural modernization should be promoted. Market should be developed on the basis of geographic advantages of being located along the Yangtze River and highways. Efforts should be made to accelerate the development of Chengdu region, the Panzhihua-Chengdu-Mianyang zone and the Three Gorges region, and economic and technical exchange and cooperation between the upper reach and the middle and lower reaches should be expanded through the construction of major projects such as the West-East Power Transmission Project.

3. The Nanning-Guiyang-Kunming economic zone

Major cities located along the route to the sea in Southwest China including Nanning, Guiyang and Kunming should play a pivotal role in the development of Yunnan, Guizhou and Guangxi, by relying on communication arteries such as the Nanning-Kunming Railway, the highway connecting Chongqing and Zhanjiang. Efforts should be made to speed up urban infrastructure construction, improve the functions of cities, develop communications, trade and tourism, upgrade the machinery, electronic and aviation industries, accelerate the utilization of hydraulic power, non-ferrous metal, phosphorus ore and coal, develop hydropower and transmit it eastward, and exploit tropical and sub-tropical biological resources. Efforts should also be made to accelerate the development of Nanning, Beihai, Qinzhou and Fangcheng in Guangxi, areas around Guiyang in Guizhou and areas around Kunming in Yunnan, and expand economic and technical exchange and cooperation between Southwest China and Southeast Asia.

4. Tibet, Xinjiang and other Ethnic Minority Regions

In the implementation of the Western Region Development Program, economic and social development of Ethnic Minority Regions should be accelerated, with priority support given to poverty alleviation, pasture construction, production of goods for the special needs of ethnic minorities, border trade and cross-border economic and technical cooperation, and ethnic education and cultural development. Actions should be taken to stimulate the development of border areas, enrich border people and support the development of ethnic groups with small population. Further actions should be taken to consolidate the unity of ethnic groups, maintain stable social order and thus create favorable circumstances for development. The special policy of providing nationwide counterpart aid to Tibet should continue, and efforts should be made to enhance the self-development strength and potential of Tibet, accelerate economic development and all-round social progress, maintain long-term social stability and construct a united, prosperous and civilized Socialist new Tibet. Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region should develop economy with local characteristics and industries with competitive edge on the basis of transforming advantageous resources. Active efforts should be made to develop trade and economic cooperation with Central Asia, facilitate economic prosperity, consolidate the unity of ethnic groups, maintain stability along the borders and improve people's living standard continuously. Xinjiang Production and Construction Corp should play an important role in the Western Region Development Program and improve its development capacity continuously. More support will be given to facilitate economic and social development in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and other western Ethnic Minority Regions. With regard to ethnic minority prefectures located in the central region, preferential treatment and support should also be applied to them in the light of policies concerning the Western Region Development Program.

IV. Policy measures pertaining to the Western Region Development Program

The Western Region Development Program is an important component of the third step of the modernization drive of our country in the new century. Actions should be taken to implement important decisions made by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, the Circular of the State Council on Policies and Measures Pertaining to the Development of the Western Region (Guofa [2000] No.33), the Circular of the State Council's General Office on the Distribution of "Suggestions on the Implementation of Policies and Measures Pertaining to the Development of the Western Region" Submitted by the Western Region Development Office of the State Council (Guofaban [2001] No. 73), and related detailed policies and implementation measures. Actions should also be taken to promote institutional innovation, expand opening-up to the outside world, promote East-West cooperation, increase investment, improve environment for investment, give more support to talented people, enhance the rule of law and morality, and facilitate the realization of goals and tasks of the Western Region Development Program.

In the implementation of the Western Region Development Program, the Western Region should concentrate on priorities of development and push the development campaign forward in accordance with local circumstances. The central and eastern regions should take the Program's tasks into account, strengthen economic cooperation with the Western Region and support the development of the Western Region. In accordance with the overall plan enacted herein, all central government agencies concerned should give priority support to policy measures pertaining to the Western Region Development Program and assist the Western Region to solve major problems. The Western Region Development Office of the State Council and the State Development Planning Commission, in cooperation with provincial governments and central authorities concerned, should take into consideration key tasks and sectors of development as stipulated by the Overall Plan, further study the layout of key projects of infrastructure construction and ecological improvement, supervise the construction of key projects, monitor and analyze the implementation of the Overall Plan and coordinate the implementation of all major tasks of the Overall Plan.

(Source: Office of the Leading Group for Western Region Development of the State Council)