The Leading Group under the State Council for Development of the
Western Regions held a meeting Monday, which called for carrying
out the western development strategy unswervingly.
The meeting was presided over by Premier Wen Jiabao, who is also
a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the
Chinese Communist Party Central Committee and head of the Leading
Group.
The meeting reviewed the achievements in carrying out the
western development strategy over the four years, and stressed that
the western development, an important part of the country's
modernization drive, was a long-term and arduous historical
mission.
The meeting called for blazing a new path in carrying out the
western development strategy under new historical conditions.
Participants discussed suggestions on promoting western
development and the major tasks of western development next
year.
The meeting urged all-round, coordinated and sustainable
development in western regions, asking governments at all levels to
continue to speed up economic and social development in the
regions.
Efforts to develop the western regions next year should include
protecting the environment, returning farmland to forest and
pastures and improving farmers' conditions for work and life.
Construction of infrastructure facilities in rural areas must be
accelerated, the meeting said.
The meeting also stressed the importance of developing the
western regions in other ways, such as readjusting the industrial
structures and speeding up the development of public health,
culture and education.
In addition, the meeting urged faster reform and opening up to
the outside, calling for a better development environment in
western regions to attract more talented people, technology and
investment.
(Xinhua News Agency December 30, 2003)