Metropolitan areas to spearhead nation's urbanization drive

Metropolitan areas could be the next driving force of China's urbanization. The country's top regulator and political advisers are drawing up new blueprints that are concentrated in some second-tier cities in the central and western regions.

China will focus on developing five metropolitan areas with the cities of Taiyuan, Guiyang, Lanzhou, Kunming and Yinchuan, said Yang Weimin, vice-chairman of the Economic Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee and a member of the Standing Committee of the CPPCC National Committee.

Yang, who is also the former deputy head of the Office of the Central Commission for Financial and Economic Affairs, outlined the concept of "high-quality urbanization" - a balanced development of economy, people, resources and the environment.