Goals set to invigorate the growth of central provinces

China issued a five-year guideline on invigorating development of its central region, aiming to build it into a key area for advanced manufacturing, modern agriculture, urbanization and ecological conservation.

The guideline was approved on Wednesday at a State Council executive meeting presided over by Premier Li Keqiang.

"Our strategy to boost westward growth has not changed. Yet, recently, there has been a divergence in development between southern and northern China, and each of the six provinces in central China also has its own condition," Li said. "It's necessary to improve development across regions so that the central region can truly play a supporting role in China's economy."