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(Reuters) – China said on Sunday it would launch 15 measures to boost development in its western provinces by building infrastructure such as ports and airports.
The General Administration of Customs said the measures would improve the integration of rail, air, river and sea links in western China, state media reported.
The measures will include improving international airports in major cities including Chengdu, Chongqing, Kunming, Xi’an and Urumqi, while creating connectivity areas, and connecting them with ports and other transport links.
Many ports would also be built and expanded.
China has always wanted to boost the economy of its western regions, which have been left behind by the coastal provinces. But ethnic tensions in areas such as Xinjiang and tough security measures that Beijing says are necessary to protect national unity and border stability have drawn criticism from other Western nations.
China’s western regions cover two-thirds of the country’s land area and include areas such as Sichuan, Chongqing, Yunnan, Xinjiang and Tibet.
China’s Politburo last year called for the “building of new cities” in western China to restore rural areas, expand efforts to eradicate poverty and boost energy resources. Efforts have also been made to increase connectivity with Europe and South Asia through trade corridors including shipping lanes.
