China steps up west's opening

China plans to make a greater effort to develop the western region to balance regional development, and infrastructure investment will be a key part of the strategy, officials and experts said on Thursday.

"It's clear that the western region is now the key area for China's economic opening-up in a new era. A new round of western region development requires us to deepen the development," said Du Ying, vice-minister of the National Development and Reform Commission.

In a keynote speech on the China-Arab States Infrastructure, Investment and Trade Cooperation Workshop held in Yinchuan, capital of the Ningxia Hui autonomous region, Du said: "We will first put more effort into enhancing infrastructure in the region and establishing highways connecting the developed coastal areas, as well as to speedways to neighboring countries."