The scheme was proposed Friday during an economic coordination meeting attended by mayors of 29 major cities along the Yangtze River.

The mayors noted that these cities have achieved marked progress in readjusting local industrial structures, building a unified market and protecting the environment of the river valley,thanks to their various economic associations and cross-region cooperation involving trades and enterprises with different ownership.

In recent years, the Yangtze region has successfully combined its advantages with the development of western areas, according tothe mayors.

In the past two years, cities in the river's lower reaches, such as Shanghai, Nanjing and Wuhan, have cooperated with China's western areas on over 1,700 projects involving a total investment of 88 billion yuan (10.6 billion US dollars).

The Yangtze River Delta, with Shanghai as the engine and three economic cooperative zones highlighted by Nanjing, Wuhan and Chongqing, has stepped up the integration of regional economic development.

The delta's Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, together with Shanghai, have made new breakthroughs in protecting the environment of the Taihu Lake area, jointly developing tourism resources and speeding up regional information networks.

The mayors expressed the hope that the cities will further impel urbanization, encourage private enterprises and strengthen cooperation in tertiary industries.

The economic coordination meeting was first initiated by Shanghai, Nanjing, Wuhan and Chongqing in 1985. Now with 29 membercities, it has become the largest regional economic cooperative organization in China.

(Xinhua News Agency October 12, 2002)