Progress and Achievements of Western China Development Drive
4 min readProgress and Achievements of Western China Development Drive （1）
The economic growth in western China is accelerating and income of people is rising.In 2000-2004，the GDP in the region averaged an annual growth of 10.2%，narrowing the gap with the national average.The fixed assets investment in the region averaged an annual growth of 20%，far higher than the 7.4%before the development drive was launched.The per capita disposable income of urban residents increased by more than 2000 Yuan as compared with 1999 and that of rural dwellers increased by more than 400 Yuan.
A number of key state and other major projects have been going on smoothly and the infrastructure and ecology in the region have improved significantly.By the end of 2005，the state had arranged 70 major projects in the region，with a total investment of nearly 1000 billion Yuan.The west-to-east natural gas transmission project has been completed and put into commercial operation.The“West-to-east power transmission”project has delivered 10 million kW of electricity to Guangdong.The Qinghai-Tibet railway is nearing completion.More than 19.2 millio hectares of cropland formerly reclaimed from forests have been returned and more than 19.3 million hectares of degenerated grassland have been brought under control.
A number of other major projects have been unfolded，including water conservancy projects on the upper reaches of rivers，state highways，natural forest protection，sandstorm control，prevention and control of water pollution on the upper reaches of rivers，and air pollution control in central cities of the region.Many projectshave been put into operation，beginning to yield economic，social and ecological results.
Greater efforts have been made in improving the infrastructure and social undertakings in the rural areas and the living and production conditions of farmers have been improved.Over the past five years，the region has built 17000 km of roadsin poor counties and 26000 km of tarmac roads leading to county towns and 46000 km of inter-county roads are proceeding smoothly.With 969 more townships having theaccess to the use of electricity，99%of the townships are now using electricity.
More than 68000 administrative villages have been brought into the coverage of radio and TV networks.The clean water projects have solved the problem of drinkable water for both man and animal.A number of large irrigation areas have been built，together with matching projects and water-efficient irrigation demonstrative projects，boosting the new water saving capacity by 4.6 billion cubic meters.Biogas pits have been built for about one million rural households.The more than 1.02 million people who used to live in ecologically fragile and unlivable areas have been resettled.
Progress and Achievements of Western China Development Drive（2）
Investment increased in social development，rural education and health.Over the past five years，the state poured 15 billion Yuan into education projects in theregion，mainly for use to rebuild dilapidated houses in rural middle and primary schools and support the infrastructure construction of regular senior high schools and major schools of higher learning.The state injected 6.5 billion Yuan into 839 projects for preventing and controlling diseases，1111 projects against epidemi outbreak，149 blood supply centers and 141 blood banks at the county level and the
purchase of more than 1190 vehicles providing mobile services in family planning.At present，the disease prevention and control system and the medical rescue and control system in case of public health crisis have been completed.
Development of specialty industries has been accelerated and opening up to the outside world and east-west partnership have gained momentum.Over the past five years，speed has picked in the development of power，coal，petroleum，natural gas，non-ferrous metals，cotton，animal husbandry and tourism as well as part o equipment manufacturing and new and high technology industries，with market sharesincreasing.The region had attracted an inflow of FDI amounting to more than US $9 billion.This，plus the loans from international organizations and foreign governments，has brought the total amount of foreign investment actually used t nearly US $15 billion.More than 10 000 enterprises from the eastern part of the country have invested more than 300 billion Yuan in the region.
The development drive has stimulated the home demand，thus boosting the strategic adjustment of the national economic development pattern.A1l the equipment and technologies needed to supply key projects come from the eastern and middle parts of the country，thus stimulating their industrial restructuring and increasing jobs in these regions.The western part has moved a large amount of energy and raw materials.A1l these have given a powerful support to the economic development of the eastern and middle parts of the country and enabled the national economy to maintain a steady and rapid growth.
