China plans to start construction of 12 new key projects with a
total investment of 165.4 billion yuan (US$20.68 billion) in its
undeveloped west, industrial watchdog has said.
The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the
country's industrial watchdog, made public on Friday the 12 new
projects.
Among the 12 projects, there is one railway project between
Taiyuan,?capital of central Shanxi Province and Zhongwei City in
northwestern Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, a series of
highways and some small airports capable?of
receiving?specific airlines in the west.
The government will also build several key coal mine projects in
the west, including the Shengli No.1 coal mine in Inner Mongolia and Meihuajing coal mine in
Ningxia.
Three new hydropower stations and a reservoir are also included
among the 12 new projects.
According to the NDRC, among the projects are an 800,000-ton
ethene project in Sichuan, a 1.2 million-ton kainite project in Xinjiang, and a 400,000-ton alumina project in
Inner Mongolia.
In addition, projects concerning high-technology industries,
education, and health care in the west will also be launched.
The NDRC said all the 12 projects are related to the
infrastructure construction in the west, especially focusing on the
poor rural areas.
Though Chinese government has tighten control over investment
this year so as to cool the heating economy, the financial support
to the western development has not been changed, said officials
with the NDRC.
According to the NDRC, every year the central government will
open a number of new projects in the west to help boost local
economy. From the year 2000 to the end of 2005, a total of 70 key
projects have been launched in the west, with a total investment
nearly 1,000 billion yuan (US$125 billion).?
(Xinhua News Agency July 3, 2006)