记者：实施西部大开发，加快中西部地区发展，是中国最高决策层根据邓小平同志“两个大局”的思想，在世纪之交作出的重大战略决策。您是我国研究区域经济的专家，而且一直从事西部经济的研究工作，我们想请您概括地谈一谈西部大开发的重大战略意义。陈栋生：准确地说，这次西 Reporter: Carrying out the development of the western region and speeding up the development of the central and western regions are the major strategic decisions made by the top policy makers of China at the turn of the century according to Comrade Deng Xiaoping’s thinking of “two overall plans.” You are an expert in studying the regional economy in our country and have been engaged in the research work of the western economy all the time. We would like to invite you to talk briefly about the major strategic significance of the development of the western region. Chen Dongsheng: To be exact, this time west