History
Under the leadership of Deng Xiaoping, the People's Republic of China began to reform its economy in 1978 by changing from a command economy to a market economy. The coastal regions of eastern China benefited greatly from these reforms, and their economies quickly raced ahead. The western half of China, however, lagged behind severely. In order to help the western half of China catch up with the eastern half, a Leadership Group for Western China Development (西部地区开发领导小组) was created by the State Council in January 2000, led by then-Premier Zhu Rongji.
Chronicle of Events
1999: the "Western Development" guidelines are clarified
2000: the "Western Development" plan begins
2001: the official website of the "Western Development" program is launched
2002: construction of the "West-East Gas Pipeline" begins
2003: the policy of "Returning Grazing Land to Grassland" comes into effect
2004: the Law on Promoting Western Development is listed on the legislative plan of the 10th National People's Congress
2005: compulsory education tuition and fees become exempt in western areas
2006: the Qinghai-Tibet Railway begins operation
2007: the Ministry of Finance invests 280 billion yuan in the west to support key projects
Read more about this topic: China Western Development
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