Shao Liqin, an official with the MOST Department of High- Technology Development & Industrialization said at a seminar on developing new chemical materials that cities in the western region should make full use of their current advantages and try to develop new industry bases.

As a representative of such cities, Li Jianhua, mayor of Jinchang city, in northwest China's Gansu province, said that cities in west China should attach equal importance to exerting their advantage in natural resources and to changing traditional industries, with the creation of new economic growing sources.

Tang Xu, vice mayor of the city, said that cities reliant on natural resources should expand their industrial scope and upgrade their industrial mix, to achieve sustainable development.

MOST has approved the establishment of a new base in Jinchang, which is famous for its nickel resources, ranking third in the world for its reserves.

MOST has set forth a series of projects to develop the western region since 2002.