(Reuters) – China said on Sunday it would launch 15 measures to boost development in western provinces by building logistics infrastructure such as ports and aviation hubs.

The General Administration of Customs said the measures will improve the integration of rail, air, river and sea links in western China, state media reported.

The measures include the development of international aviation hubs in cities including Chengdu, Chongqing, Kunming, Xi’an and Urumqi, while developing comprehensive bonded zones, and integrating them with ports and other transport links.

Several ports will also be built and expanded.

China has long sought to strengthen the economy of its western regions, which are particularly lacking in its coastal provinces. But ethnic tensions in such areas are Xinjiang and hard-line security measures that Beijing says are necessary to protect national unity and border stability have drawn criticism from some. Western countries.

China’s western regions cover about two-thirds of the country’s land and include regions such as Sichuan, Chongqing, Yunnan, Xinjiang and Tibet.

China’s Politburo last year called for a “new urbanization” in western China to revitalize rural areas, expand efforts to alleviate poverty and strengthen energy resources. Efforts are also being made to increase linkages with Europe and South Asia through trade corridors including rail freight routes.