The Leading Group under the State Council for Development of the Western Regions held a meeting Monday, which called for carrying out the western development strategy unswervingly.

The meeting was presided over by Premier Wen Jiabao, who is also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee and head of the Leading Group.

The meeting reviewed the achievements in carrying out the western development strategy over the four years, and stressed that the western development, an important part of the country's modernization drive, was a long-term and arduous historical mission.

The meeting called for blazing a new path in carrying out the western development strategy under new historical conditions.

Participants discussed suggestions on promoting western development and the major tasks of western development next year.

The meeting urged all-round, coordinated and sustainable development in western regions, asking governments at all levels to continue to speed up economic and social development in the regions.

Efforts to develop the western regions next year should include protecting the environment, returning farmland to forest and pastures and improving farmers' conditions for work and life.

Construction of infrastructure facilities in rural areas must be accelerated, the meeting said.

The meeting also stressed the importance of developing the western regions in other ways, such as readjusting the industrial structures and speeding up the development of public health, culture and education.

In addition, the meeting urged faster reform and opening up to the outside, calling for a better development environment in western regions to attract more talented people, technology and investment.
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(Xinhua News Agency December 30, 2003)