It has been over two years since China kicked off its strategy to develop the western provinces. How is the process going and what are the existing problems so far? Staff reporter Chen Chao of china.org.cn interviewed Feng Jionghua, chief commissioner of the China Peasant and Workers Democratic Party in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and vice chairman of the regional government with more than 30 years' working experience in Ningxia, on Feng's views on Western Development. A member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Feng Jionghua was in Beijing March 3-13 for the annual CPPCC session.

Western development is a key policy in today's China and many basic works have to be done by every western province or region, Feng Jionghua said.

"In this regard, the first task for all province and regions is to find the right direction or right way for their development. In other words, they should first find their own advantages. At the same time, each province or region should carefully analyze its own situation to make sure about its real position so as to help explore the reasons for its lagging behind to realize in what respect it should develop. At present, every western province and region is working on such research and analysis."

"However, there is a common problem existing among these provinces and regions, that is, when we are trying to establish our own advantageous projects or industries, a trend-following tendency becomes very obvious. If the country is trying to develop its economy, then the western provinces or regions will follow this trend; if the country is going to speed up its pace in electricity's development, then the provinces will again follow to develop its electricity industry. But when it comes to the question of what they are uniquely good at, they turned out to be unclear."

When talking about Ningxia's development, Deputy Feng presented us with a colorful and delicate picture through his thorough introduction. According to him, the size of Ningxia is very small, with only 51,800 square kilometers, the third from the last in area across the country, only a little bit larger than Hainan Province and Taiwan. The population of Ningxia is also very small, still the third from last in the whole country, a bit more than Tibet and Qinghai Province.

"Due to our weakness in many respects, it will be very hard for us to carry out big projects. However, a small province has its own advantages too. For instance, if we can get the country's appropriate funds, or some other support, then we can make big progress during our development with much less efforts compared with some big provinces, such as Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Tibet and Qinghai. As far as the infrastructure construction is concerned, China is right now working to provide every village with access to highways, telephone and television. If the country can support us a little bit, then we can guarantee realization of the goal soon thanks to our small size and population," Feng said.

Furthermore, Feng said. though Ningxia is small in size, it is endowed with rich energy resources including coal and the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Gas Field which inspired the province to participate in the nationwide West-to-East gas pipeline project, and the West-to-East electricity energy transmission project.

"The West-to-East gas pipeline project has started, and the gas-supply for the first phase of the project will be accomplished by the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia natural gas field. We also are preparing to transfer our electricity energy to the Huabei electricity network," Feng said.

Thanks to Ningxia's good geographic position along the Yellow River, Ningxia is rich in land resources, livestock, and food supplies, making agriculture a strong point in the region, Feng said.

"There's a Chinese saying that Yellow River makes Ningxia wealthy', and it is indeed true. Since ancient times, Ningxia has been able to support itself in agriculture and often enjoys surplus in its food products. Because of Ningxia's comparatively isolated location, even pesticides rarely found there. Therefore, to plant more green food and vegetables, and to develop the group-scale production and livestock will definitely be a direction in Ningxia's agricultural development. Besides, with its rich resources in energy, coal and electricity, we also can develop our chemical industry."

Finally, Feng Jionghua said that far-reaching vision will be required for the development of western China since it will be rather a long and gradual process that will also require patience. Western development is not a task that can be fulfilled within any five-year plan, and cannot be accomplished by any one-generation leadership, he said.

A major effort in education to promote progressive views toward their life and society must be part of the Western Development effort, Feng said.

"In some education-backward poverty-stricken areas within Ningxia, due to its isolated location, with no convenient channel to contact the outside world, it's very difficult to change the town people's minds. What we need to do now is to bring them some new and advanced ideas or cultural knowledge via television or some other communication tools."

At present, some 18.66 percent of the Ningxia population above the age of 15 are illiterate.

Population control in many poverty-stricken areas is still a problem. Though Ningxia is small in both size and population, it has comparatively high population density. As an arid or half-arid region, the proper population density in Ningxia should be 7 to 15 people per square kilometer according to the United Nation's standard. As a minority ethnic region, Ningxia enjoys a comparatively lenient policy in population control. Every Hui couple residing in the mountainous areas is permitted to have three children. However, the geographic isolation and inclement surroundings bring many difficulties to the government in its management.

"Despite of our strict control, more births than allowed are something that still exists in some areas. Now, we are considering how to substitute penalties including a fine with rewards as incentives. For instance, if a couple is willing to have fewer birth within the three-children limit, the government will award them with 2,000-3,000 yuan in cash or with a free insurance worth of 2,000-3,000 yuan. This is our fewer births, quick to be rich" project. Ningxia is the trial region for this project across the whole nation, and we do hope to get country's full support. Ever since we began this pilot project within our trial area, much progress has been made, and it is much favored by the youth," Feng said.

(china.org.cn by Chen Chao, staff reporter, translated by Feng Shu, March 19, 2002)