Chinese President Hu Jintao on Thursday stressed the need for a more balanced development of China's regions.

At a study session of the Political Bureau of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee, which addressed the theme of coordinated regional development, Hu, who is general secretary of the Central Committee, said the Party must ensure the country's balanced development in order to achieve common prosperity and guarantee the benefits of China's economic reform are shared by all people.

Three major development campaigns have been promoted by the government over the last five years -- the "Western Development" drive focusing on the vast and poor western regions, the "Revive the old Northeastern industrial base" drive to boost the economy in three northeastern provinces and the "Central Rise" drive aimed at developing the landlocked central provinces.

The campaigns are attempts at enabling these regions to catch up with the more prosperous eastern areas.

Hu said the central government still encouraged the eastern regions to take the lead in development drives.

But he stressed that the coastal regions should guide and help other parts of the country to develop and the state would increase its support for developing regions that lag behind overall national development.

Hu called on the government to improve its financial, investment, industrial, land and population policies to promote balanced regional development.

(Xinhua News Agency February 17, 2007)