A teleconference was held in Beijing on the 18th to promote the cooperation between the eastern and western parts of the country and the designated assistance of central units. Hu Chunhua, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and vice premier of the State Council, attended the meeting and delivered a speech. Hu Chunhua pointed out that last year, the cooperation between the East and the West and the designated assistance of central units achieved a smooth and orderly connection, and fully completed the annual assistance task. The achievements are worthy of full recognition. In accordance with the deployment of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, we should give priority to consolidating and expanding the achievements of poverty alleviation, promote the stable employment of poverty alleviation labor force, strengthen the support for key assistance counties for rural revitalization, promote the continuous increase of income of people out of poverty, and resolutely hold the bottom line that there will be no large-scale return to poverty. Hu Chunhua stressed that we should focus on promoting development, deepen cooperation and assistance, support the development and growth of western industries, promote the gradient transfer of Eastern industries to the west, guide more enterprises to develop in the western region, and strengthen market cooperation between eastern and western regions. We should support the western region to improve the development level of social undertakings, select and send strong professional and technical talents, and promote the progress of social civilization. Hu Chunhua pointed out that the eastern and Western cooperation provinces and central units should strengthen the implementation of cooperation and assistance responsibilities, increase support and guarantee, do a good job in the selection and management of assistance cadres, strengthen supervision, guidance, assessment and evaluation, and promote cooperation, assistance, quality and efficiency. Eight provinces (cities) in the East and 10 provinces (districts and cities) in the West signed a cooperation agreement between the East and the west at the meeting. Comrades in charge of the leading departments of the designated assistance work of relevant provinces, autonomous regions and cities undertaking the task of cooperation between the East and the west, member units of the cooperation assessment and evaluation working group of the East and the West and central units attended the meeting. (Xinhua News Agency)