XI'AN, September 8 (Xinhua) -- The development of China's western region should be powered by high-tech industries, such as information technology, the Internet and other computer-related businesses, said experts at the 2001 Western China Forum, which concluded September 6 in this capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province.
Zhou Shushi, director of the Gansu Provincial Academy of Social Sciences, said that the western region should vigorously develop knowledge-intensive high-tech and new-tech industries, which are beyond geographical and time limitations.
Lu Xinkui, vice minister of the information industry, said that western enterprises should strive to build close ties with their counterparts in other places to develop high-tech industries.
So far, some 100 multinationals have chosen the western cities of Xi'an and Chengdu as their development and research centers in China.
Hu Angang, a leading Chinese economist, said that western Chinese enterprises should learn modern management and technologies from these multinationals so as to bridge the gap between the country's western region and eastern region as soon as possible.
![[Documents menu]](../bin/bk.gif)