China welcomes foreign investment in its western region development campaign, a top official said yesterday.

But there's a catch.

"We will not approve any project harmful to the environment," Wang Xinxiang, deputy director of the National Development and Reform Commission, said yesterday.

China's major transportation infrastructure projects Highways: Beijing-Kunming, Baotou-Maoming, Qingdao-Yinchuan, Shanghai-Xi'an, Shanghai-Chongqing, Guangzhou-Kunming, Shanghai-Kunming, Guiyang-Guangzhou, Fuzhou-Yinchuan Expressay. Railways: Taiyuan-Yinchuan, Lanzhou-Chongqing, Guiyang-Guangzhou, Xi'an-Pingliang, Chongqing-Lichuan and an extension of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway. Airports: Chengdu, Xi'an, Xining, Chongqing, Guiyang and Lanzhou. Inland water transport: the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, Xijiang River and Jialingjiang River. China's major energy and chemical industry bases Large hydro-power bases: Jinsha River, Yalong River, Lancang River, the upper reaches of the Yellow River, Hongshui River and Wujiang River. Large petroleum and natural gas exploration and processing bases: Sichuan, Shaanxi and Qinghai provinces and the Inner Mongolia, Guangxi Zhuang and Xinjiang Uygur autonomous regions. Major coal chemical bases: Shannxi and Guizhou provinces and Ningxia Hui and Inner Mongolia autonomous regions. Major renewable energy bases: wind and solar energy in Gansu Province and the Xinjiang Uygur, Ningxia Hui, Tibet and Inner Mongolia autonomous regions; bio-energy in Yunnan, Sichuan, Chongqing and Guizhou provinces and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region; geothermal energy in the Tibet Autonomous Region. State petroleum reserve base: Gansu Province. China's major mineral resources exploitation and processing bases Nonferrous metal: Copper in Yunnan Province and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region; aluminium in Guizhou and Chongqing and the Inner Mongolia and Guangxi Zhuang autonomous regions; Lead and Zinc in Yunnan Province. Rare earth: Sichuan and Gansu provinces and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Potash: Qinghai Province and the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Iron and Steel: Baotou, Panzhihua, Jiuquan, Liuzhou, Kunming and Liupanshui.

The commission has released the 11th Five-Year Plan (2006-10) on western region development. The plan gives priority to projects in infrastructure construction, environmental protection and education in the western regions.

Meanwhile, three key economic zones and six key industries have been given the government's full support.

The three key economic zones are the Chongqing-Chengdu zone, the Central Shaanxi-Tianshui zone, and the Beibu Bay zone in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

The six key industries are: energy and chemical, mine exploration, agriculture, equipment manufacturing, high-tech, and tourism and culture industries.

"The western region now accounts for only 3 percent of the total foreign direct investment in China," Wang said.

"In fact, the western region enjoys more favourable policies and has more fields opened up to foreign investors than the rest of China. Foreign investors should grasp the opportunities."

According to Cao Yushu, deputy director of the Office of the Leading Group for Western Region Development of the State Council, there have been notable achievements in infrastructure construction and environmental protection.

The road network totals 700,000 kilometers, including 10,000 kilometers of expressways. And there are plans to build another 200,000 kilometers of roads and extend the railway network by 2010.

Ecological projects have helped protect the area's environment, Cao said.

(China Daily 03/02/2007 page3)