Cultural development will focus more on the rural areas and the western parts of the country in the following years, according to Culture Minister Cai Wu.

"Efforts will be made to upgrade the cultural infrastructure at the grassroots level to balance the development of cultural services between rural and urban areas," Cai said on the sidelines of the National People's Congress on March 5.

Cai said in the coming years, China will promote a coordinated and sustainable cultural development in the rural and urban areas by extending cultural services to the grassroots level and properly sharing resources between the rural and urban areas. Besides, cultural interaction between the rural and urban areas will also be increased.

He conceded that investment in cultural development has gone mainly to urban areas and the rural areas have been neglected for many years.

"Now we will pay the debt we have owed to the rural areas."