Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji has stressed the significance of a
sustainable development strategy in China's ongoing effort to
develop its vast but poor
western
areas.
Addressing the 3rd meeting of the Leading Group under the State
Council for the Development of Western China Friday, the premier
said top priority should be given to improving the ecology of the
area and to environmental protection.
He
called for more efforts to improve the infrastructure and promote
scientific and educational undertakings in western China.
High-ranking officials at the meeting described the country's
ongoing western development launched three years ago as going
smoothly and having fruitful results in promoting social and
economic development in the region.
The officials said China should prevent enterprises in the
country's eastern regions from transferring their existing
industrial facilities and polluting firms to the western region,
and from excessive real estate development.
Maintaining an environmentally friendly construction program is a
top priority for western China development, said the officials.
Reafforesting farmland not suited to farming is one of the
country's major undertakings. It will improve the ecology of the
region, and as a fundamental policy will have a great impact on
future generations and the revival of China.
Meanwhile, they said, the program to protect the country's
grassland from overgrazing should be put on the Chinese
government's agenda.
They called for the restoring of the natural grassland and better
management of water resources in western China.
Among those attending the meeting were Vice-Premier Wen Jiabao and
State Councilor Wang Zhongyu, who is also secretary-general of the
State Council.
(Xinhua News
Agency October 14, 2002)