China's central region should speedup construction of its grain production base, infrastructure facilities and transportation bubs, a senior official said Sunday in Hefei, capital of Anhui Province.

The 4th Expo Central China 2009 opened in Hefei, Anhui Province, on April 25.

Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan made the remarks at the 4th Central China Expo which opened Sunday.

"Economic development of the central region has kept good momentum despite the global financial downturn," said Wang, adding that in the past 15 months, the region has enjoyed higher GDP growth rates than the country's average.

He attributed the advantages to the region's abundant resources, broad markets and convenient transportation facilities.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, urged the region to optimize investment environment, speed up international exchanges and explore the rural market.

The Expo attracted 16,000 business people despite the global financial crisis, including representatives from 300 of the world's top 500 multinational corporations such as Carrefour and IBM.

Also present were foreign officials, including Noli De Castro, vice president of the Philippines; Yok Mu-ming, New Party chairman from Taiwan; and chief executives of the Hong Kong and Macao special autonomous regions Donald Tsang and Edmund Ho Hau Wah.

China's vast central region, comprising Shanxi, Henan, Hunan, Hubei, Jiangxi and Anhui provinces, covers more than 10 percent of the country's land territory and 28 percent of population.

The previous three sessions, held in the capitals of Hunan, Henan and Hubei provinces, had attracted more than US$30 billion of foreign investment.

(Xinhua News Agency April 27, 2009)