The Guizhou provincial delegation to the ongoing 12th National People's Congress, in Beijing say they are looking for support from the State Council to set up inland free trade zone in the under-developed province, which, they suggest, could help with the reform and opening-up of that part of China and be a model for inland open-economy pilot zones.

They go on to say that it could also play a strategic role in China's Belt and Road Initiative and help reduce poverty in the land-locked province and that they believe Guizhou has its own advantages in policies, environment, resources, transportation and industrial base, and, because its economy is rather small it faces fewer risks in its reform compared with coastal provinces.