Wu Bangguo, China's top legislator, said that innovation was a pillar shoring up the economic restructuring, energy-saving and pollution cut and the economic development mode shift, during his inspection in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

Wu, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, said the northern autonomous region is rich in coal, oil and natural gas reserve with huge potential and should boost the development of the local economy with local characteristics.

He urged the region to turn its natural resource advantage into economic strength and to endeavor to introduce more investments from home and abroad in a bid to take the lead in the development of the country's western region.

Wu also inspected the project of turning coal into oil products by the country's top coal producer China Shenhua Group and other big enterprises including garment producer Erdos Group and dairy giant Yili Group to acquire information of their technology innovation and energy saving efforts.

He also urged local authorities to be alert to the ecological system conservation and push forward the development of a recycling economy under the precondition of conservation of environmental protection.

(Xinhua News Agency July 11, 2008)