Yang Chuantang, vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), has attended a joint meeting with five provincial-level CPPCC committees in Northwest China to drive the construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt. 

At the meeting held in Urumqi, capital city of Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, on June 8, Yang said the five provincial-level regions – Xinjiang, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Gansu and Qinghai – enjoy a sound geographical, historical and cultural foundation, and are well placed to work together in the development of the land-based economic belt, part of the country's Belt and Road Initiative. 

Yang urged the five regions to commit to the positioning and missions set by the central government and to ensure progress in building core zones, trade corridors and hubs for the economic belt. The regions should also grasp the development opportunities that are arising from the country's westward opening-up strategy, and play an active role in fostering a new development paradigm, said Yang. 

He also said locall CPPCC committees should improve their research into strategic issues that are central to high-quality development, and try their best to pool wisdom and resources with a view to accelerating growth in the economic belt.