Covering area
China's western region embraces the six provinces of Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou, the three autonomous regions of Ningxia, Xinjiang and Tibet, and the Chongqing Municipality which is directly under the administration of the Central Government, inner Mongolia and Guangxi may also be included.

Meanings and aims
At the beginning of new millennium, Chinese government decided to launch a campaign of western development. One of the priorities is explore western energy resources to send more electricity to Eastern China is called for.

To implement the great development of the west and speed up the development of central and west areas and strengthen the organization leadership for west development, the State Council established office on development of the west and it has started its operation.

Based on the instructions of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, the Office of west development will focus on four areas: first, to make an overall plan on west development. Second, to formulate policy and measures for speeding up west development. Third, to speed up infrastructure construction in the west. Fourth, to strengthen protection and construction of ecology and environment in the west.

Cooperation
Provinces and municipalities both in the region of Pan-Pearl River Delta erea and west China have strengthened east west cooperation for regional development.

For example, Guangdong Wens Poultry Co., Ltd. has input 15 million yuan in the first-phase construction of a chicken-raising industry in Deyang, Sichuan. They plan to develop 1500 chicken-raising households in Deyang, with product ability 25 million chickens per year, annual investment 50 million yuan and turnover 250 to 300 million yuan.

Since 1997, around 1700 projects involving 30 billion yuan have been signed between Guangdong and Guangxi, with more than 400 projects with 17 bln yuan signed in 2003.

Editor: Donald