Western cities like Xi'an and Chengdu are losing young talents who flock to the big cities for jobs in the east and south after graduation.

Western universities need financial support to enhance their capabilities so they can better compete with their eastern counterparts, said Hu Sishe, president of Xi'an International Studies University, at the annual parliament session which concluded yesterday.

"Some of the spending on the programs initiated by the leading universities, mostly in the country's east, turned out to be a waste," Hu said. "If the money would be invested in the western universities, the result may have been different."

Xi'an International Studies University has trained English teachers in the city to better understand textbooks. Many teachers benefitted from the program, and the organizers are expecting to expand the training to the whole region, Hu said.

Hu also said cities like Xi'an and Chengdu should play leading roles in attracting talent. They should restructure their economies to create better jobs for college graduates.

"The students who are creative and erudite will be disappointed with offers that only require simple labor," he said.