Chinese President Hu Jintao Tuesday called for more efforts to develop the country's vast west regions and raise people's standards of living.

Hu stressed the importance of developing west China, as it is a major task for the country to build a moderately prosperous society and is in the interests of hundreds of millions of people, he said during a work meeting in Beijing.

Hu urged efforts be undertaken to accelerate infrastructure construction, rural development in west China, upgrade the industrial sector and revitalize enterprises and traditional industries with high technology and enhance environmental protection.

He also said the government would make a priority of raising people's livelihoods in the west regions in the next decade, including creating more jobs and improving social security networks.