Ladies and gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure for us to meet here. First of all, I would like to extend my cordial welcome to the friends from the media.

Recently, the State Council has approved "Guanzhong - Tianshui Economic Zone Development Plan" framed by the National Development and Reform Commission. This is a significant measure to promote the regional coordinated development, and build a strategic high ground to the West Development Campaign. It will play a great practical and far-reaching historical role to exert the advantages and the leading position of this region, promote the economic revitalization of the Northwestern region, and in-depthly and continuously boost the West Development Campaign.

Since the implementation of the West Development Campaign, Shaanxi has entered a new phase of accelerated development. Great changes have taken place in terms of economy and social outlooks of Shaanxi Province. The economic growth rate reached an average of 12.1 percent. In 2008, the economic aggregate of the whole province amounted to 685.1 billion RMB. The year-on-year increase was 15.6%. The fiscal revenue was 110.4 billion RMB, increasing by 10 times compared to 1999. The income of urban and rural residents reached 12,858 RMB and 3136 RMB respectively. It was a twofold increase compared with their income before the West Development Campaign. Although the global financial crisis made a serious negative impact on Shaanxi Province, its GDP still maintained a stable and rapid development momentum, growing by 10.2 percent in the first quarter of 2009.

As one of the three key areas in China's West Development Campaign, Guanzhong – Tianshui Economic Zone has its unique position and advantages. First, it holds its supremacy in aspects of China's history and culture. It is an important birthplace of Chinese civilization. Historically 13 dynasties established their capitals in Xi'an. There are more than 30,000 culture heritage attractions all over the region. Thanks to its rich cultural resources, we may name this region the Museum of China's History and Culture. Second, it plays a leading role in science, technology and education. There are more than 80 institutions of higher education, more than 100 key national and provincial research institutes, over 1 million of science and technology talents, 4 state-level development zones such as Xi'an High-tech Zone, Yangling Agricultural Demonstration Zone, some other industrial bases, and a number of University-run Science and Technology Parks in Guanzhong. It ranks among the top provinces in the aspects of the comprehensive strength of science and education throughout China. Third, it has an advanced industries constitution. Industries of Guanzhong cover the equipment manufacturing, electronic information, biological medicine, modern agriculture and many other fields. Nearly 30% of the national R & D capacity of the aviation industry locates here in cluster. It is the birthplace of China's aviation dynamic industry. Fourth, the area has its strategic position. Guanzhong is located in the hinterland of China's landmass. The geocenter of China is located here. This region is the centre of the Eurasian Continental Bridge Chinese Section. This region is an active hub of railways, highways, air and telecommunications, oil and gas pipelines. Qinling Mountain constitutes an important ecological barrier. From ancient times on, Guanzhong is the pivot to link the east and west, the north and south.

In the process of implementing "Guanzhong - Tianshui Economic Zone Development Plan", we will follow the guides of the scientific development concept, open up our minds, seize the opportunity, leverage our advantages and forge ahead. We shall strive to become a new important growth pole in the strategy of the national regional coordinated development by the year of 2020.

- We shall enhance with all-out efforts the economic and social development with the aims to build a modern Guanzhong through industrialization and urbanization, First, we shall focus on the development of the industrial clusters like aerospace, equipment manufacturing, resource processing, building an advanced manufacturing base in China. Second, forging ahead with the leading force of the metropolitan area in Xi'an, we shall accelerate the integration of Xi'an and Xianyang, create a modern international metropolis, and bring along the rapid rise of Guanzhong cities and towns. Third, we shall vigorously develop the integrated transport network of highways, railways, and airports. We shall set up a great routeway centered with Xi'an, covering the whole region and linking the region to rivers and seas. Fourth, we shall implement 8 livelihood projects, narrowing the urban-rural gap in terms of providing basic public services, achieving the objective to be the forefront in China's West regarding the ability and level of public services.

- We shall develop high-tech industries, construct Guanzhong with better science and technology throuth the development of state-level industrial park. We shall quicken our pace to make Xi'an High-tech Zone a world-class science and technology park. We shall give full play the leading role of the Yangling Demonstration Zone in the area of modern agriculture, forming a number of high-tech industry bases, promoting the collebaration between production and research, and promoting the transformation of scientific and technological achievements. We shall build Guanzhong into a national demonstration base of the coordinated reform with scientific and technological resources, exploring a new path for building an innovation-oriented country.

- We shall exercise market-oriented ideas and project-outlined ways to develop our cultural resources, building a humanistic Guanzhong by relying on the rich history and culture. Vigorously highlighting the historical cultures represented by dynasties of Zhou, Qin, Han and Tang, we shall build an industrial chain for the culture, tourism, and exhibition, creating a number of world-class masterpieces of art works, fully showing and promoting Xi'an's role as the Chinese civilization base.

- We will make more efforts to protect the environment, build an ecological Guanzhong focusing on “One Mountain (Qinling), One River (Weihe River)”. We will continue to strengthen the construction of Qinling ecological barriers, expedite the Weihe River Regulation Projects. We are committed to energy-saving and emission reduction, develop a circular economy, when developing traffic routes, rivers and towns, green corridors and subregions. Our goal is to make Guanzhong one of the areas with the best living environments.

- We shall speed up our integration into the economic globalization, develop an open Guanzhong by the reform and opening-up. We shall pay close attentions to the reform and innovation of the key areas and aspects, enhancing the extent of the internationalization and the level of opening up, actively undertaking the industrial transfer from eastern and central regions. We shall turn Guanzhong into a magnet for investment and production from home and abroad, a strategic high ground for the inland-type economic development and opening up.

Guanzhong had been written in the most glorious chapters of Chinese civilization. Contemporary Guanzhong has entered the fast lane of development. Guanzhong has a better future. I sincerely hope that media from home and abroad give your attention to Guanzhong - Tianshui Economic Zone. Together, let us witness its growth and development.

Thank you!