The Liangjiang New Area of Southwest China's Chongqing municipality, the only national-development area in inland China, should continue leading the country's western areas in its pace of development, Vice-Premier Zhang Dejiang said.

"The Liangjiang New Area needs to further explore the ways of an open economy in inland China and be the explorer of reform and opening up," said Zhang, who is also the Party chief of Chongqing, during a visit to the new area over the weekend.

The Liangjiang New Area was approved by the State Council as a national development area in 2010, becoming the third such area after Shanghai's Pudong and Tianjin's Binhai in the north.

Zhang, who replaced Bo Xilai as Party chief of the municipality in March, was re-elected Party chief on June 22 when the municipality concluded its fourth municipal Party congress in 15 years.

While lauding the achievements of the new area during the last two years, Zhang has pledged that the municipality will provide full support to development of the new area.

"Local government departments should fully recognize the importance of the new area and continue providing full support of its development," Zhang said.