Li Peng, chairman of the Ninth National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee urged Yunnan and Sichuan provinces to seize the opportunity of great western China development drive to bring about a healthy development of the economy in the areas inhabited by minority nationalities.
After hearing the discussions of NPC deputies from Yunnan and Sichuan provinces at the on-going fourth session of the Ninth National People's Congress Wednesday, Li Peng said the western China development strategy concerns the whole situation of the country and it offers opportunities for Sichuan and Yunnan to realize an overall social and economic development.
Li stressed the importance of fully displaying their respective local advantages in adjusting their industrial structure and in developing agriculture.
As both provinces have a large population of minority nationalities, Li urged them to further consolidate unity of all nationalities and improve the living standards of the local people.
He called on the two provinces to make greater efforts to implement the Party's policies toward minority nationalities which have been proved successful and set great store by implementing the compulsory education to raise the quality of the local people.
(People’s Daily 03/15/2001)
