Chinese President Hu Jintao on Thursday stressed the need for a
more balanced development of China's regions.
At a study session of the Political Bureau of the Chinese
Communist Party Central Committee, which addressed the theme of
coordinated regional development, Hu, who is general secretary of
the Central Committee, said the Party must ensure the country's
balanced development in order to achieve common prosperity and
guarantee the benefits of China's economic reform are shared by all
people.
Three major development campaigns have been promoted by the
government over the last five years -- the "Western Development"
drive focusing on the vast and poor western regions, the "Revive
the old Northeastern industrial base" drive to boost the economy in
three northeastern provinces and the "Central Rise" drive aimed at
developing the landlocked central provinces.
The campaigns are attempts at enabling these regions to catch up
with the more prosperous eastern areas.
Hu said the central government still encouraged the eastern
regions to take the lead in development drives.
But he stressed that the coastal regions should guide and help
other parts of the country to develop and the state would increase
its support for developing regions that lag behind overall national
development.
Hu called on the government to improve its financial,
investment, industrial, land and population policies to promote
balanced regional development.
(Xinhua News Agency February 17, 2007)