China will speed up opening up of its inland regions to the outside world and give full play to Xinjiang's role in the opening up to neighboring countries.
Chinese Vice-Premier Li Keqiang told officials and business leaders attending the first China-Eurasia Expo in Urumqi, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, on Thursday that opening up to countries in Eurasian heartland was an important part of the country's overall opening-up.
China opened up to the world from the country's eastern coast in the late 1970s when late leader Deng Xiaoping unleashed the landmark market economic reform. Decades of booming export-oriented economy has brought tremendous prosperity to the eastern regions.
"Looking to the future, we will accelerate the opening up of the inland and border regions while advancing the opening up of the eastern region," Li said.
The vice premier said Xinjiang is a key region in the government's strategy to develop the country's western regions and the central government has drawn up and is implementing a series of favorable policies covering tax, investment in infrastructure and environmental protection, exploitation of resources and welfare projects to boost Xinjiang's development.
He said the government is working to speed up the opening-up of Xinjiang by setting up special economic zones in two border cities, restructuring local industries, expanding the number of border trade ports, and implementing financial measures to encourage the use of the Chinese currency yuan in cross-border trade and investment.
"New opportunities have emerged for China and countries at the heart of Eurasia. The pace of regional economic integration is growing significantly," Li said, adding that China's trade with central, south, and west Asian countries reached $270 billion last year.(Source:Xinhua)