国内英语新闻:Chinese vice premier urges accelerating economic transformation

XI'AN, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang on Friday called for more efforts to be made to accelerate the transformation of China's economic growth pattern and achieve "sound and fast" development in the country's central and western regions.

He made the remarks in Xi'an, capital of northwestern China's Shaanxi Province, at a work meeting held by the central and western regions for the formulating of the 12th Five-Year Program (2011-2015) guideline (draft).

Officials from the central and western regions introduced their development plans for the next five years and put forward their suggestions for the country's next five-year program.

Li said China's efforts to expand domestic demand should be based on further opening-up as China had a huge population and a large geographical area.

Further, the central and western regions boasted remarkable markets, rich resources and huge growth potential, he said.

Boosting growth in both regions was a key task in accelerating the economic growth mode as it could balance regional economic development and help the people of various ethnic groups lead a better life, Li said.

China on Wednesday publicized the full text of the Communist Party of China Central Committee's Proposal for Formulating the 12th Five-year Program (2011-2015) for China's Economic and Social Development, which was adopted at the Fifth Plenum of the 17th CPC Central Committee that ended Oct. 18.