The paper analyzes both the progress and problems in the western China developmentdrive over the past three years and attempts a tentative evaluation of the results of the drive.The authors hold that the western China development drive has been proceeding in anactive, orderly and steady fashion, and has achieved considerable success in the constructionof infrastructure, and improvement of ecological environment. However, there are stillmany problems. It has been slow in attracting non-governmental investment, in theimprovement of investment climate, regional industrialization and in opening up to theoutside world. It is, therefore, necessary to make adjustments to the western Chinadevelopment strategy during the remaining years of the Tenth Five-Year Plan period (2001-2005) and during the Eleventh Five-Year Plan period (2006-2010), make greater efforts inreform and opening up, improve the investment climate, accelerate the pace of industrializationand attract more non-governmental capital from at home and abroad. The paperarios both the progress and problems in the western China developmentdrive over the past three years and attempts a tentative evaluation of the results of the drive.The authors hold that the western China development drive has been proceeding in anactive, orderly and steady fashion, and has achieved considerable success in the constructionof infrastructure, and improvement of ecological environment. However, there are stillmany problems. It has been slow in attracting non-governmental investment, in theimprovement of investment climate, regional industrialization and in opening up to theoutside world. It is, therefore, necessary to make adjustments to the western yearsdevelopment strategy in the remaining years of the Tenth Five-Year Plan period (2001-2005) and during the Eleventh Five-Year Plan period (2006-2010), make greater efforts inform and opening up, improve the investment climate, accelerate the pace of industrialization and attract more non-governmental ca pital from at home and abroad.