BEIJING, March 29 (Xinhua) -- China's central provinces received a major boost this week when the country's top policy makers announced plans to promote the rejuvenation of the populous region, the cradle of ancient Chinese civilization.

    The Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) held a special meeting in Beijing on Monday, discussing the strategy of accelerating the development of the central region.

    Amid an admiration for the boom in the east and an envy for the preferential policies in the west, the central provinces, which have lagged behind while the country has enjoyed a miraculous rapid economic growth, began to call for invigoration of the region at the beginning of the century.

    It was after years of simmering that "zhongbu jueqi", or the rise of the central region, was put onto the agenda of the country's central authorities at the end of 2004.

    The central region, which encompasses Henan, Shanxi, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi and Anhui provinces, boasts the country's major grain and energy bases and serves as a communications hub.

    As the cradle of the Chinese nation, the region, through which the two "mother rivers" of the nation, the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers, flow, witnessed prosperous ancient civilizations from the Xia Dynasty (2100 B.C.-1600 B.C.) to the Song Dynasty (960-1279), spanning about 3,000 years.

    Kaifeng, then capital of Song, which was known as Dongjing, or the capital of the orient, boasted the most glorious imperial capital in the world at that time.

    The once glorious region, however, was overshadowed in the quarter-century reform and opening up drive of China, which resulted in the rapid development of the east.

    Statistics showed in the 1978-2004 period, the eastern region contributed 56 percent of the national GDP, while the central provinces only accounted for 26 percent.

    And in the recent 10 years, the GDP gap between central and eastern regions widened by six times. The central region even saw slower economic growth than the comparatively underdeveloped west as a result of the increase of investment after the country launched a program to develop the region at the beginning of the century.

    The rejuvenation of the central region was inked into the five-year plan for the 2006-2010 period, which won approval from national legislators at the annual session of the National People's Congress earlier this month.

    The blueprint for economic and social development in the next five years aims to increase grain production, shore up the coal industry, speed up industrial readjustment, construct a raw material base and build a comprehensive transportation hub in the region.

    "Zhongbu jueqi" has a far-reaching significance which can go beyond the central region itself. In the overall regional development scheme, the central provinces geographically play the role of a key link between the east and the west.

    A stagnant central region, with a population of 361 million, or more than 28 percent of the nation's total, would hinder the development of the whole country.

    The rise of the region, which reports a contribution of about 40 percent to the country's grain output and with rich coal resources, can undoubtedly pin up the country's security in grain and energy source supply.

    The policies to boost agricultural development in the region, where 244 million or about a third of the country's rural population live, will help ease the rural problems that have long troubled the country.

    An increase of residents' income in the populous rural region can also help spur domestic consumption, a strategy to drive national economic growth.

    Netizens applauded the high-key address of the country's central authorities after the news about the special meeting was reported.

    The news was described by netizens on www.people.com.cn, a major news website in the country, as an "encouraging" message.

    "As long as the gaps between the eastern, western and central regions remain, the country, which is seeking national rejuvenation, will not be able to rise in the world," said a netizen.

    Citing a saying that those who command the central region will gain state power, another netizen said the determination to invigorate the central provinces demonstrated the policy makers understand the significance of the region.

    The strategy of "zhongbu jueqi", will not only drive the development of the central region but can also give impetus to the overall growth of the whole country.

    And the drive will lead the nation to a more optimistic road for the glorious dream of national renaissance, said Yue Wenhai, an economic researcher in Zhengzhou, capital of Henan Province. Enditem