(Reuters) – China said on Sunday it would launch 15 measures to boost the development of its western provinces by building logistics infrastructure such as ports and aviation hubs.
The General Administration of Customs said the measures will enhance the integration of railway, air, river and sea lines in western China, state media reported.
These measures are scheduled to include strengthening international aviation hubs in cities including Chengdu, Chongqing, Kunming, Xi'an and Urumqi, while developing comprehensive customs zones and integrating them with ports and other transport links.
A number of ports will also be built and expanded.
China has long sought to bolster the economic heft of its western regions, which have lagged significantly behind coastal provinces. But ethnic tensions in such places as Xinjiang and tough security measures that Beijing says are necessary to protect national unity and border stability have drawn criticism from some Western countries.
China's western regions make up about two-thirds of the country's land area and include regions such as Sichuan, Chongqing, Yunnan, Xinjiang, and Tibet.
China's Politburo last year called for a “new urbanization” of western China to revitalize rural areas, expand poverty alleviation efforts and boost energy resources. Efforts have also been made to increase links with Europe and South Asia through trade corridors including rail freight routes.
