A guidance on how to promote coordinated development among China’s major regions was issued by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), aimed at constructing a new pattern of regional development in the years to come.

The new pattern will be formed by 2020, featuring coordinated development among regions and between rural and urban areas, according to the document. By then, China will see a national uniform market, consistent basic public services, and great improvements in green development and combating regional poverty.

In recent years, China has made progress in utilizing the layout of regional development, and continued its development strategies for western, northeastern, central and eastern regions while introducing the strategies of One Belt, One Road, coordinated development of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei, and development of Yangtze River economic zone.

Challenges still exist, though. Problems such as development disparity, underdevelopment of old revolutionary base areas, regions inhabited by ethnic groups and remote regions, and disorderly development in some areas have not yet been addressed.

To meet those challenges, a number of tasks were put forward. They urge further utilizing the national layout, continuing to implement the existing strategies, poverty-alleviation in underdeveloped regions, construction of city clusters, and marine economic development.

Regional policies should be improved to better serve different areas, according to the document. It also calls for more interaction among regions for industrial transition, partner assistance, and cooperation between the mainland and Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.

Improvement of regional coordinated development is highlighted to take advantage of innovative platforms and promote law-based regional governance.