Crisis presents opportunity

The western regions in China have a great opportunity to grow during the current financial crisis as they rely more on domestic demand rather than foreign trade, and stand to benefit remarkably from the government's stimulus package, says an article in Southern Metropolitan News. Excerpts:

According to the index published by the National Bureau of Statistics, the financial crisis, which has a great impact on the eastern region of China, hasn't hampered the initiatives in the western parts.

The GDP growth in the first quarter of this year in Guangdong, Zhejiang and Shanghai are merely 5.8 percent, 3.4 percent, and 3 percent respectively -- all of which are lower than the national average of 6.1 percent. In the 12 western provinces and municipalities, however, the GDP growth rates are higher than the average, except in Gansu province and the Ningxia Hui autonomous region.