Northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region is to spend
4.7 billion yuan (US$566 million) this year on infrastructure,
700 million yuan (US$84 million) more than last year.
This expenditure
aims to improve the economic climate as part of the State's
policy of developing China's western regions. Ningxia is in
the northwest.
Half the investment
will go to highways, water-control facilities and urban construction,
according to a local official.
This year, Ningxia
will spend 2.6 billion yuan (US$310 million) on five major
highway projects, including two expressways.
The local government
will also speed up installation of telecommunications wiring.
There are eight telephones in Ningxia for every 100 people,
exceeding the national average.
To fight a long-standing
drought problem, Ningxia has built many dams, canals and reservoirs
in recent years. The Shabotou irrigation works is one of the
State's 10 key projects in China's west this year and cost
1.3 billion yuan (US$157 million).
Funds for urban
construction in Yinchuan, capital of the region, will exceed
3.1 billion yuan (US$373 million) during the 10th Five-Year
Plan (2001-05).
(Xinhua 05/03/2000)
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