Ningxia: Inland Opening Stimulates Western Development

( 2012-March-12 11:22:47)

By staff reporter ZENG PING

At an NPC panel discussion by the delegation from Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Zhang Yi, secretary of the CPC Ningxia Committee said the region has achieved solid progress over the past few decades, but still lags far behind China's eastern regions. Ningxia's population living below the poverty line is currently over one million. In the poorest areas, such as Xihaigu, 350,000 people struggle to survive in a harsh natural environment. Drought is a perennial threat.

The regional government has instituted a plan to relocate residents in the harshest areas of the province to more liveable zones within five years. Authorities are then to spend another five years on poverty reduction and wealth creation initiatives for these people. With the support of the central government and relevant authorities, more than 30,000 impoverished people have already been relocated under this program since 2011.

Wang Heshan, a NPC deputy from Ningxia, said that the region has funnelled more than RMB 170 billion since 2007 to 10 specific programs to improve people's livelihoods. The figure for this year will be RMB 9.8 billion. Expenditures on livelihood projects take up 73 percent of the regional government's budget outlays. 

Wang Zhengwei, chairman of Ningxia, discussed at the open session the promotion of the regional economy. In 2009, in order to open up inland areas and considering the longstanding religious ties between Ningxia and the Muslim world, the State Council approved the region to permanently host the China-Arab States Economic and Trade Forum to build a platform for cooperation between China and Arab States. The forum has been held for two years now and had brought Ningxia into the world's spotlight. As a pivotal region culturally connecting China to the Muslim world, Ningxia is posed to deepen its hinterland opening up strategy via further forum. The region plans to build an inland special economic zone where a series of experimental policies will be launched.

With this special economic zone, Ningxia is to build itself into a manufacturing base of halal food. It will also focus on the design, approval, manufacture and transportation of other Muslim goods. Wang Zhengwei says that with the rapid development expected in the coming years, the forum and the economic zone will no doubt bring benefits to China and Muslim nations worldwide.

Wang Heshan, a NPC deputy from Ningxia, said that the region has funnelled more than RMB 170 billion since 2007 to 10 specific programs to improve people's livelihoods. The figure for this year will be RMB 9.8 billion. Expenditures on livelihood projects take up 73 percent of the regional government's budget outlays.