Chinanews, Beijing, Apr. 5 – While large regional difference is usually regarded as an important sign to define an underdeveloped nation, such difference has, to some extent, become the major driving force for China's rapid economic development. In a way, it can be said that this is the secret weapon for China to maintain its high economic growth, said Liu Wei, head of the School of Economics at Peking University on Tuesday.

 

He made the statement at the launching ceremony of his new book, Report on China's Economic Development in 2007 – Building a Harmonious Society and Maintaining Sustainable Development.

 

Since China carried out the reform and opening-up, its annual GDP growth has reached 9.7% year on year. The high and sustainable high growth is rarely seen in the world, Liu said at the ceremony.

 

The fact that China is a big country with great regional disparity provids a unique condition for China to be able to maintain a high economic growth in a relatively long time, he said.

 

He recalled that over the past 30 years, economic development between regions has varied greatly. The first round of economic prosperity occurred in the special economic zones. Later, many coastal cities which traditionally had a solid economic base, were opened. Then, the economic boom further spread to Beijing-Tianjin and the Circum-Bohai Ring area, including Shandong and Hebei. In recent years, some economically underdeveloped inland provinces which have rich natural resources, such as Inner Mongolia and Shanxi, have begun to develop their economy.

 

If the central government implements appropriate policies at the turn of the new century, many inland areas and relatively underdeveloped regions will become the new driving force to promote the nation’s economic development, he predicted.