In China's modernisation process, to eliminate disparity gradually in regional development and realise the common prosperity of the entire nation has become an important strategic task faced by China. Although the three generations(Mao Zedong 1949-1978, Deng Xiaoping 1979-1994, Jiang Zemin 1995-present) of China's leadership have all attached great importance to this task and conducted active explorations in this regard, the strategies have been quite different from each other. The strategies have been changed from balancing policy to favourable treatment and to co-ordinated development since 1949.

The purpose of this paper is to analyse China's regional development strategies in the 21st century. Firstly, changes of regional development strategy and its theoretical background in China since 1949 will be described. Secondly, "The strategy for large-scale development of China's western region" which was put forward by Jiang Zemin(the Secretary General of Communist Party) in June 1999 will be introduced. Finally, some concluding remarks about the strategy for the large-scale development of the western region will be given.