In 2000, China kicked off its western
development program. This will benefit its less developed western
region and the 370 million people living in this part of the
country. From January to October last year, the western region
drew fixed-asset investment worth some 31 billion US dollars.
78 projects began in China's western region in 2000. These
projects are to improve the infrastructure in transportation,
energy, ecological environment, and water conservancy. Last
October, China held the West Forum, which attracted thousands of
enterprises and scholars from home and abroad. During the forum,
the central government issued a series of preferential policies
for the region, covering tax breaks and more government spending.
And China also encouraged more foreign enterprises and funds to
join the program.
In China's go-west campaign, the central government set two key
projects. They are transmission of the natural gas and the
electric energy in China's west to the east. This will make full
use of the west's abundant resources and will also relieve the
coastal areas' shortage. Experts say to improve the west's
backward transportation is also key to its development. In the
coming five years, China plans to pour over 12 billion US dollars
to build new railways of 2600 kilometers. Eight branch expressways
and six airports are also under the government plan. Moreover,
China will strengthen the protection of the region's ecology for
its long-term development. The key project is to turn parts of its
arable land into timberland or grassland.
China Central Television
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