Inland cities' growth is welcome, but balanced development required

OF LATE, some media outlets have been referring to seven cities in the central and western regions - Chongqing, Chengdu, Wuhan, Changsha, Zhengzhou, Xi'an and Hefei - as China's new engines of growth. Beijing News comments:

Chongqing's GDP of 1.95 trillion yuan ($285 billion) was the highest among the seven cities last year, and Hefei's the lowest (about 720 billion yuan). Also, their average annual growth rate, 8 percent, is markedly higher than the national average of about 6.5 percent.

The economic rise of these cities is shortening the development gap between the coastal and inland regions. It has also made the inland region an important feature on China's economic map for the first time since the launch of reform and opening-up 40 years ago.