It has been over two years since China kicked off its strategy to
develop the western provinces. How is the process going and what
are the existing problems so far? Staff reporter Chen Chao of
china.org.cn interviewed Feng Jionghua, chief commissioner of the
China Peasant and Workers Democratic Party in
Ningxia Hui
Autonomous Region and vice chairman of the regional government with
more than 30 years' working experience in Ningxia, on Feng's views
on Western Development. A member of the National Committee of the
Chinese
People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Feng
Jionghua was in Beijing March 3-13 for the annual CPPCC session.
Western development is a key policy in today's China and many basic
works have to be done by every western province or region, Feng
Jionghua said.
"In this regard, the first task for all province and regions is to
find the right direction or right way for their development. In
other words, they should first find their own advantages. At the
same time, each province or region should carefully analyze its own
situation to make sure about its real position so as to help
explore the reasons for its lagging behind to realize in what
respect it should develop. At present, every western province and
region is working on such research and analysis."
"However, there is a common problem existing among these provinces
and regions, that is, when we are trying to establish our own
advantageous projects or industries, a trend-following tendency
becomes very obvious. If the country is trying to develop its
economy, then the western provinces or regions will follow this
trend; if the country is going to speed up its pace in
electricity's development, then the provinces will again follow to
develop its electricity industry. But when it comes to the question
of what they are uniquely good at, they turned out to be
unclear."
When talking about Ningxia's development, Deputy Feng presented us
with a colorful and delicate picture through his thorough
introduction. According to him, the size of Ningxia is very small,
with only 51,800 square kilometers, the third from the last in area
across the country, only a little bit larger than Hainan Province
and Taiwan. The population of Ningxia is also very small, still the
third from last in the whole country, a bit more than Tibet and
Qinghai Province.
"Due to our weakness in many respects, it will be very hard for us
to carry out big projects. However, a small province has its own
advantages too. For instance, if we can get the country's
appropriate funds, or some other support, then we can make big
progress during our development with much less efforts compared
with some big provinces, such as Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region,
Tibet and Qinghai. As far as the infrastructure construction is
concerned, China is right now working to provide every village with
access to highways, telephone and television. If the country can
support us a little bit, then we can guarantee realization of the
goal soon thanks to our small size and population," Feng said.
Furthermore, Feng said. though Ningxia is small in size, it is
endowed with rich energy resources including coal and the
Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Gas Field which inspired the province to
participate in the nationwide West-to-East gas pipeline project,
and the West-to-East electricity energy transmission project.
"The West-to-East gas pipeline project has started, and the
gas-supply for the first phase of the project will be accomplished
by the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia natural gas field. We also are
preparing to transfer our electricity energy to the Huabei
electricity network," Feng said.
Thanks to Ningxia's good geographic position along the Yellow
River, Ningxia is rich in land resources, livestock, and food
supplies, making agriculture a strong point in the region, Feng
said.
"There's a Chinese saying that Yellow River makes Ningxia wealthy',
and it is indeed true. Since ancient times, Ningxia has been able
to support itself in agriculture and often enjoys surplus in its
food products. Because of Ningxia's comparatively isolated
location, even pesticides rarely found there. Therefore, to plant
more green food and vegetables, and to develop the group-scale
production and livestock will definitely be a direction in
Ningxia's agricultural development. Besides, with its rich
resources in energy, coal and electricity, we also can develop our
chemical industry."
Finally, Feng Jionghua said that far-reaching vision will be
required for the development of western China since it will be
rather a long and gradual process that will also require patience.
Western development is not a task that can be fulfilled within any
five-year plan, and cannot be accomplished by any one-generation
leadership, he said.
A
major effort in education to promote progressive views toward their
life and society must be part of the Western Development effort,
Feng said.
"In some education-backward poverty-stricken areas within Ningxia,
due to its isolated location, with no convenient channel to contact
the outside world, it's very difficult to change the town people's
minds. What we need to do now is to bring them some new and
advanced ideas or cultural knowledge via television or some other
communication tools."
At
present, some 18.66 percent of the Ningxia population above the age
of 15 are illiterate.
Population control in many poverty-stricken areas is still a
problem. Though Ningxia is small in both size and population, it
has comparatively high population density. As an arid or half-arid
region, the proper population density in Ningxia should be 7 to 15
people per square kilometer according to the United Nation's
standard. As a minority ethnic region, Ningxia enjoys a
comparatively lenient policy in population control. Every Hui
couple residing in the mountainous areas is permitted to have three
children. However, the geographic isolation and inclement
surroundings bring many difficulties to the government in its
management.
"Despite of our strict control, more births than allowed are
something that still exists in some areas. Now, we are considering
how to substitute penalties including a fine with rewards as
incentives. For instance, if a couple is willing to have fewer
birth within the three-children limit, the government will award
them with 2,000-3,000 yuan in cash or with a free insurance worth
of 2,000-3,000 yuan. This is our fewer births, quick to be rich"
project. Ningxia is the trial region for this project across the
whole nation, and we do hope to get country's full support. Ever
since we began this pilot project within our trial area, much
progress has been made, and it is much favored by the youth," Feng
said.
(china.org.cn by Chen Chao, staff reporter, translated by Feng Shu,
March 19, 2002)