China to further enhance coordinated regional development

China will optimize functional zoning to guide localities in better leveraging their comparative advantages based on their defined functions, according to the government work report submitted on Thursday to the country's top legislature for deliberation.

Solid steps will be taken to create new advantages in large-scale development of the western region, to achieve new breakthroughs in the full revitalization of the northeast China, to accelerate the rise of the central region, and to encourage faster modernization of the eastern region, said the report.

China will strengthen differentiated policy support to advance initiatives aimed at boosting economic development and raising living standards in border regions, and promote the revitalization and development of old revolutionary base areas, areas with large ethnic minority populations, border areas and resource-depleted cities, it added.

China will enhance overall planning for major bays and see that its maritime sector gets stronger, performs better and grows in size, the report noted.

(Cover: File picture of the Chengdu Financial City area in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province. /VCG)