1
The disparity in development between the eastern and western regions has for a long
time been a problem plaguing the economy and social well being of China.
Much
better coordinated development of the east and the west is now an important task in
China’s road towards modernisation.
Early in the fifties, MAO Zedong in his paper “On the ten major relationships”
stressed his concern for inequality between coastal and interior industries. He said,
“About 70% of all our industry, both light and heavy, is found in the coastal regions.
Only 30% is in the interior. This irrational situation is a product of history. The
coastal industrial base must be put to full use, but to even out the distribution of
industry as it develops, we must strive to promote industry in the interior……”
With reform in its full swing in the eighties, DENG Xiaoping came up with the
strategic thinking of “two major concerns” regarding regional development. “One
concern” is to quicken the opening up of the coastal areas and let them develop
quickly first. The other is to pool more of the country’s efforts to develop the central
and western regions when the country has reached a moderate degree of being well
off at the end of the century.
JIANG Zemin gave great importance to this subject. On 17 June 1999, he
proposed “to seize the historical opportunity of the turn of the century in order to
quicken steps for the development of the western region”. In the past 21 years of
reform and opening up, development of the coastal region, especially of traditional
industries, is approaching saturation. There is need to find new markets. At the
same time, opening up of the western region cannot wait any longer.
Translated from:
2
At the turn of the century, the Chinese government launched the strategic
development of the western region while it continues to open up the coastal region.
The west comprises of Shaanxi, Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Qinghai, Ningxia, Xinjiang,
Sichuan, Chongqing, Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi and Tibet, a total of 12 regions.
The area covers 5.4 million square kilometers which is 56% of the country’s total.
It is home to 285 million people or 23% of China’s population. This western region
of China enjoys rich mineral resources and a plentiful supply of energy (including
hydraulic power), as well as tourism and land resources. The rapid development of
the coastal region in the twenty years of reform has however given it the upper hand
reaping all kinds of benefits. The wealth gap between the eastern and western
regions continues to widen.
Take the 5 provinces of the great northwest for example. They span across 30% of
our land, but their GDP is only approximately that of Shanghai. Shaanxi, Gansu etc. are
the birthplaces of Chinese civilization and the gateways of the Silk Road. For them, the
good old days of glory are gone. Today, the economic ranking of Gansu is the third last
among all provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions. The wide gap in
development between the eastern and western regions of China affects national stability
and the harmony of the nationalities.
To open up the western region means to encourage domestic and
foreign enterprises to participate in infrastructure construction and in
developing resources. This will be beneficial to China as it moves
into the 21st century.
Translated from:
3
Know the western region: Colour the various parts of the western region of China.
Inner Mongolia
Xinjiang
Ningxia
Gansu
Qinghai
Tibet
Shaanxi
Chongqing
Sichuan Guizhou
Guangxi
Yunnan
South China Sea Islands
4
Based on information given above, explore the reasons for the policy of opening up
the western region.
1. Part of the overall strategy of China’s economic reform. Extension of
development from the coastal region to the inland region.
2. Enhancement of the living standard of people in the inland region so as to
narrow the gap between the rich and poor. Promotion of national stability
and harmony of the nationalities.
3. Continuation of the policy of reform and opening up so as to fully utilize the
resources and superior factors of the western region.
4. Provision of new markets for traditional industries.
5. Support for economic development in the 21st century.
6. Any reasonable remarks.
Read the following remarks on the opening up of the western region and then answer
the questions.
The state has been implementing reform for more
than twenty years and I have been mayor here for
ten years. Finally, emphasis is being directed to
the development of the western region. But it is
not going to be easy. Although the western
region has abundant natural resources, the
geographical situation is very complex. The land
is mostly precipitous and infertile with few
expansive rich plains. Vast deserts are everywhere
and a large proportion of the land is barren offering
few conditions for survival.
A
5
The western region is facing serious threats of soil
erosion, desertification, pasture degeneration etc. It
is low in its capacity for regeneration. But it is where
the poorer population of China lives. The focal point
for the opening up of the western region should be the
protection and development of its ecological
environment. When the ecological environment is
improved, the economy will develop. The income of
farmers and herdsmen will increase and their
livelihood improves.
B
Development of the western region lags far behind that of the
coastal region. But at the same time, this region is blessed with high
development potential. In order to develop the western region, we
must first of all engineer the development of infrastructure such as
C
the railroads. But first of all, we need to put in place a sound legal
system for the protection of investors. Then everyone will know the
rules of the game. Investors and transnational companies will be
confident in doing business in the western region.
It is a good thing that the economy of the western region is
being developed. We are too poor and too poor for too long.
We have our strengths in our mineral ores, natural gas, tourism
resources and many others. When investors build factories
in our region, they bring with them many employment
opportunities. In order to facilitate economic development,
the government needs to focus on manpower training. In this
way, our children’s chances of education will be greatly
enhanced. When irrigation is improved and agriculture is
run as large enterprises, the income of farmers will greatly
increase. Development of the western region brings us all
kinds of benefits and no harm.
D
6
The western region is blessed with a wealth of languages. Almost
all nationalities there have retained their own ethnic languages.
The languages fall into many categories. Basically, nationalities
of the western region speak their ethnic languages and make
Hanyu their second language. The competence of their Hanyu
E
varies. The opening up of the western region will inevitably
bring challenges to these ethnic languages. When the Hanyu
standard of these people rises, the functions of their verbal and
written ethnic languages will see demise. Future generations will
gradually lose their ethnic languages.
Based on the statements of the above five persons, identify them. What do they
consider to be the pros and cons of the development of the western region? What
are the difficulties to be faced?
Capacity
Evidence
A
B
C
Government
Environmental Businessman/
official of a
protection
investor
province in the enthusiast
western region
He said, “I
have been
mayor here for
ten years.”
He said, “The
focal point for
the opening up
of the western
region should
be the
protection and
development of
the ecological
environment.”
D
E
An average
Scholar
farmer in the concerned
western region about ethnic
languages of
the western
region / a
member of one
of the
nationalities of
the western
region
He said, “Putting She said, “The He raised the
in place a sound income of
issue of ethnic
legal system for farmers will
languages of
the protection of greatly
the western
investors ……This increase.”
region.
will free us of
worries in
investing …”
7
A
Strengths of Abundance of
the western natural
region
resources.
Difficulties The
and
geographical
problems environment of
about
in the western
developing region is very
the western complex. The
region
land is mostly
precipitous
and infertile
with no
expansive and
rich plains. A
large portion
of the land is
barren offering
few conditions
for survival.
B
C
Very high
development
potential.
D
E
Abundance of Raised
mineral ores, standard of
natural gas,
Hanyu.
tourism
resources.
More
employment
opportunities.
More chances
for education.
Improved
irrigation and
increased
income for
farmers.
The western
Lack of
The functions
region is facing infrastructure
of verbal and
serious threats development and
written ethnic
of soil erosion, of a sound legal
languages of
desertification, system for the
the
pasture
protection of
nationalities
degeneration investors.
will see
etc. Its capacity
demise.
for
Future
regeneration is
generations
very low.
will gradually
lose their
ethnic
languages.
For background, view episode 1: “Great Changes are Imminent” in the TV special
“Opening up of the western regions”.
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