# Western China

Western China (中国西部 or 华西) is the west of China. It consists of Southwestern China and Northwestern China. In the definition of the Chinese government, Western China covers six provinces (Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Shaanxi, Gansu, and Qinghai), three autonomous regions (Tibet, Ningxia, and Xinjiang), and one direct-administered municipality (Chongqing).

## Urbanization

As part of the Xi Jinping administration's goal to urbanize 250 million citizens by 2025 as the first phase of a long-term green modernization plan, China seeks to resettle formerly rural people in provincial capitals, prefectural cities, and county-level towns in western China (as well as central China).$^{:8}$

## Administrative divisions

| GB | ISO No. | Province | Chinese Name | Capital | Population | Density | Area | Abbr. |
| Yú | 50 | Chongqing Municipality | 重庆市 Chóngqìng Shì | Chongqing | 28,846,170 | 350.50 | 82,300 | CQ | 渝 |
| Chuān (Shǔ) | 51 | Sichuan Province | 四川省 Sìchuān Shěng | Chengdu | 80,418,200 | 165.81 | 485,000 | SC | 川(蜀) |
| Guì (Qián) | 52 | Guizhou Province | 贵州省 Gùizhōu Shěng | Guiyang | 34,746,468 | 197.42 | 176,000 | GZ | 贵(黔) |
| Yún (Diān) | 53 | Yunnan Province | 云南省 Yúnnán Shěng | Kunming | 45,966,239 | 116.66 | 394,000 | YN | 云(滇) |
| Zàng | 54 | Tibet Autonomous Region | 西藏自治区 Xīzàng Zìzhìqū | Lhasa | 3,002,166 | 2.44 | 1,228,400 | XZ | 藏 |
| Shǎn (Qín) | 61 | Shaanxi Province | 陕西省 Shǎnxī Shěng | Xi'an | 37,327,378 | 181.55 | 205,600 | SN | 陕(秦) |
| Gān (Lǒng) | 62 | Gansu Province | 甘肃省 Gānsù Shěng | Lanzhou | 25,575,254 | 56.29 | 454,300 | GS | 甘(陇) |
| Qīng | 63 | Qinghai Province | 青海省 Qīnghǎi Shěng | Xining | 5,626,722 | 7.80 | 721,200 | QH | 青 |
| Níng | 64 | Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region | 宁夏回族自治区 Níngxià Huízú Zìzhìqū | Yinchuan | 6,301,350 | 94.89 | 66,400 | NX | 宁 |
| Xīn | 65 | Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region | 新疆维吾尔自治区 Xīnjiāng Wéiwú'ěr Zìzhìqū | Ürümqi | 21,813,334 | 13.13 | 1,660,400 | XJ | 新 |

## Cities with urban area over one million in population

Provincial capitals in bold.
| # | City | Urban area | District area | City proper | Prov. | Census date |
| 1 | Chongqing | 8,894,757 | 12,084,385 | 16,044,027 | CQ | 2010-11-01 |
| 2 | Chengdu | 6,316,922 | 7,415,590 | 14,047,625 | SC | 2010-11-01 |
| 3 | Xi'an | 5,206,253 | 6,501,190 | 8,467,838 | SN | 2010-11-01 |
| 4 | Kunming | 3,140,777 | 3,272,586 | 6,432,209 | YN | 2010-11-01 |
| 5 | Ürümqi | 2,853,398 | 3,029,372 | 3,112,559 | XJ | 2010-11-01 |
| 6 | Guiyang | 2,520,061 | 3,034,750 | 4,322,611 | GZ | 2010-11-01 |
| 7 | Lanzhou | 2,438,595 | 2,628,426 | 3,616,163 | GS | 2010-11-01 |
| 8 | Yinchuan | 1,159,457 | 1,290,170 | 1,993,088 | NX | 2010-11-01 |
| 9 | Xining | 1,153,417 | 1,198,304 | 2,208,708 | QH | 2010-11-01 |
| 10 | Mianyang | 967,007 | 1,355,331 | 4,613,871 | SC | 2010-11-01 |
| 11 | Nanchong | 890,402 | 1,858,875 | 6,278,614 | SC | 2010-11-01 |
| 12 | Baoji | 871,940 | 1,437,802 | 3,716,737 | SN | 2010-11-01 |
| 13 | Wanzhou | 859,662 | 1,563,050 | see Chongqing | CQ | 2010-11-01 |
| 14 | Luzhou | 742,274 | 1,371,233 | 4,218,427 | SC | 2010-11-01 |
| 15 | Xianyang | 730,704 | 945,420 | 5,096,001 | SN | 2010-11-01 |
| 16 | Hechuan | 721,753 | 1,293,028 | see Chongqing | CQ | 2010-11-01 |
| 17 | Zunyi | 715,148 | 1,094,871 | 6,127,082 | GZ | 2010-11-01 |
| 18 | Luzhou | 742,274 | 1,371,233 | 4,218,427 | SC | 2010-11-01 |
| 19 | Jiangjin | 686,189 | 1,233,149 | see Chongqing | CQ | 2010-11-01 |
| 20 | Leshan | 678,752 | 1,211,237 | 3,235,759 | SC | 2010-11-01 |
| 21 | Zigong | 666,204 | 1,262,064 | 2,678,899 | SC | 2010-11-01 |
| 22 | Panzhihua | 631,258 | 787,177 | 1,214,121 | SC | 2010-11-01 |
| 23 | Fuling | 595,224 | 1,066,714 | see Chongqing | CQ | 2010-11-01 |
| 24 | Neijiang | 586,445 | 1,251,095 | 3,702,847 | SC | 2010-11-01 |
| 25 | Xuanwei | 584,076 | 1,302,891 | see Qujing | YN | 2010-11-01 |
| 26 | Yongchuan | 582,769 | 1,024,708 | see Chongqing | CQ | 2010-11-01 |
| 27 | Suining | 549,826 | 1,295,885 | 3,252,619 | SC | 2010-11-01 |
| 28 | Yibin | 549,650 | 836,340 | 4,471,896 | SC | 2010-11-01 |
| 29 | Tianshui | 544,441 | 1,197,174 | 3,262,549 | GS | 2010-11-01 |
| 30 | Deyang | 530,122 | 735,070 | 3,615,758 | SC | 2010-11-01 |
| * | Lhasa | 199,159 | 279,074 | 559,423 | XZ | 2010-11-01 |
* ↑ Chongqing core area only, satellite urban areas separated from Chongqing core area is not included. Chongqing core districts are consist of nine districts: Yuzhong, Dadukou, Jiangbei, Shapingba, Jiulongpo, Nan'an, Beibei, Yubei, & Banan.
* ↑ Dongchuan is a satellite urban area separated from Kunming and it is not included.
* ↑ Yangling is a satellite urban area separated from Xianyang and it is not included.

## Policies

China's current development policy for its western regions is laid out in the Guiding Opinions of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council on Promoting the Development of the West in the New Era and Forming a New Pattern.$^{:186}$ This policy seeks to improve key industries and national development, particularly in aircraft manufacturing.$^{:186}$
Infrastructure developed through the Belt and Road Initiative has helped to reduce the imbalance between western China and the country's more developed eastern region.$^{:42}$