Officials reaffirm preferential policies for China's West
(07/27/2001) (China Daily)

Chinese officials from financial and monetary departments reaffirmed the government's determination to ensure capital injection to back up the strategic development of its western regions.

Sources at a two-day international workshop on developing and co-financing China's western regions said that the preferential policies will include a larger than ever proportion of government infrastructure appropriations, long-term treasury bond issues, and bank loans for development projects in the western regions.

Funds will be raised for priorities, such as infrastructure construction, exploration of advantageous resources and some promising economic sectors, sources said.

The World Bank and more than 10 other international financial agencies participated at the workshop, which also included discussions on poverty relief and human resource development in regions heavily populated by impoverished ethnic minority groups.

The workshop, which ended Thursday, was sponsored by the State Development Planning Commission.

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