China has invested 850 billion yuan (US$102.8 billion) for 60
major construction projects in its western areas during the past
five years, said the State Ethnic Affairs Commission Friday.
An official with the commission said that since China began to
develop the western areas, the central government has increased
investment in these areas, especially in ethnic autonomous
regions.?????
The investment in fixed assets in China's ethnic minority areas
amounted to 2.38 trillion yuan (US$288 billion) from 2000 to 2004,
growing 21.7 percent annually, according to government
statistics.
Meanwhile, a group of major projects, including the construction
of the Qinghai-Tibet railway, west-to-east gas and power
transmission projects, hydropower plants and trunk roads, have also
been launched to boost the development of western areas.
According to the commission, international economic and
technological cooperation has been widely expanded in ethnic
autonomous areas in recent years. The foreign trade volume in these
areas reached US$20.9 billion last year, 1.75 times that of
1999.
The strategy of developing western areas has also helped promote
the development of local pillar industries, such as cotton
production, coal and natural gas exploitation and wool
processing.
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(Xinhua News Agency May 21, 2005)