Xinjiang, once a destitute area, is now a land of opportunities. The CPC’s dedication to modernising and targeting investments in the economy, human capital and social development, among other areas, has transformed the region’s fate. With generous investments, Xinjiang’s economic and social indicators are continuously improving. These are not fabricated assumptions; the facts support them.
Data shows by the end of 2023, State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) invested 2.47 trillion yuan ($340 billion), established 2,552 branches and initiated 52,000 cooperative projects over the years in Xinjiang. This suggests investment in Xinjiang is not a new phenomenon; China has historically invested in the region in line with its economic status.
For example, in 2024, 40 SOEs invested $39.1 billion in Xinjiang across various sectors, including petroleum, natural gas, coal, new energy and transportation. Moreover, SOEs are planning and committed to investing over $53.1 billion in 2025. Simultaneously, Xinjiang government focused on agricultural modernization and mechanisation.
According to Agriculture and Rural Affairs Department of Xinjiang, mechanisation of crop cultivation and harvesting has reached 90pc. For major crops, including wheat, cotton and maize, mechanisation rate stands at 95pc. Through continuous efforts, agriculture sector set production records in 2024, yielding 23.3MT of grains and accounting for 92.3pc of nation’s total cotton production. Xinjiang’s cotton and textile industry generated an economy of $33.6 billion and created 1 million jobs in 2024. The CPC also prioritises farmers in all agricultural decisions to enrich their lives and improve living standards. For example, the government supports them in building and renovating their homes.
The CPC is also assisting Xinjiang in capitalising on its natural beauty, stunning landscapes and diverse geography by promoting tourism. Xinjiang’s majestic snow-covered mountains, lush green fields, shimmering lakes and vast deserts attract people from around the world. Consequently, it is becoming a tourism hub both within and outside of China. Data show in 2024, tourism sector contributed $50.1 billion to regional GDP, which is a substantial amount. Furthermore, it has created hundreds of thousands of jobs for the local population.
The government’s focus and investment have significantly boosted GDP growth. Official statistics indicate Xinjiang achieved a growth rate of 6.6pc, with a GDP of 2.05 trillion yuan ($281 billion) in 2024.
It is important to emphasise President Xi has accelerated efforts to transform Xinjiang. He envisioned transforming a resource-dependent economy into a modern, innovation-driven and technology-led economy. For example, Xinjiang took 42 years to reach 100 billion yuan and another 20 years to achieve 1 trillion yuan. However, due to President Xi’s policies and actions, it took just seven additional years to exceed 2 trillion yuan.
Social indicators also show rising trends, such as per capita income and disposable income, which have reached 78,660 yuan and 42,820 yuan, respectively. The CPC is sending volunteers from top-tier universities and talented young individuals to assist locally in teaching and modernising the education system.
Recently, President Xi praised their role in building a modern China and their contribution to Xinjiang’s development. China has also heavily invested in developing the skills of locals to enable them to participate actively in modernisation and to increase their awareness of its benefits. With the launch of modernisation drive, President Xi has further accelerated efforts to modernise Xinjiang. The eight-cluster strategy was introduced to further support this transition.
On the other hand, Xinjiang has abundant natural resources. Nature has endowed it with fossil fuels, precious metals, renewable energy sources and rare earth metals. It has 130 types of precious metals and accounts for 30pc, 34pc and 40pc of the country’s oil, natural gas and coal reserves, respectively. A further breakdown reveals the region has approximately 5.6 billion tons of oil, 1.4 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 2.2 trillion tons of coal reserves. Xinjiang also possesses significant reserves of rare earth metals, although more details are currently unavailable.
In its modernisation journey, Xinjiang has adopted the philosophy of ecological civilisation and high-quality development. This helps it foster harmony with the planet and promote harmony among its people. Consequently, Xinjiang has invested heavily in renewable energy, generating 40.77 billion kWh and 75.39 billion kWh from solar and wind, respectively, in 2024. Xinjiang is also emerging as an exporter of renewable energy and technology.
However, the most distinguished aspect of Xinjiang’s modernisation is that it is advancing on the principle of shared and common prosperity. It is implementing people-centric policies and programmes to bring prosperity to the general population. On the other hand, it reinforces mechanisms for sharing modernisation and prosperity with neighbouring countries.
For that purpose, under the leadership and guidance of CPC, Xinjiang has established a special Free Trade Zone to achieve the goal of common and shared prosperity. The FTZ focuses on three principal areas of work: promoting investment, trade and innovation. It has enhanced industrialisation and modernisation of supply chains, assisting regional countries in strengthening their trade and investment connections with Xinjiang and China.
For example, the FTZ has opened green channels, such as China-Kazakhstan, China-Tajikistan and China-Kyrgyzstan. It also serves Russia and Uzbekistan. The green channels facilitate fast-track clearance and reduce supply chain costs. It has substantially decreased clearance time from 5 days to 1 day. Trade facilitation not only shortens trading time, but also lowers product prices. Khunjerab Pass, an all-weather border and customs clearance point, is another channel that is revolutionising trade with Pakistan.
It also serves as an important connectivity node for the CPEC route. It has the potential to facilitate a connectivity route for Pakistan with Russia and Europe via China-Europe land route. These actions have enhanced Xinjiang’s trade with regional countries based on the principle of win-win cooperation. The data shows in 2024, Xinjiang’s total trade reached $60.68 billion, marking a remarkable achievement.
Xinjiang maintains an open door for foreign investment. Since 2021, it has implemented special incentives to promote investment, particularly FDI, including 2+3 years of tax incentives for investing in impoverished regions and five years of tax exemption for investments in Kashgar and Horgos Special Economic Zones. These incentives have motivated companies to invest, resulting in a notable increase in investment. FDI has surged, reaching $681 million in 2023.
Furthermore, Xinjiang is encouraging neighbouring countries to benefit from the region’s rapid development by establishing their outlets and industries within Xinjiang. This approach enhances their access to the vast Chinese market and creates new business opportunities with other countries. They can also reach the European market through China-Europe train route. Thus, Xinjiang is providing a win-win formula for collaboration.
Xinjiang is not only modernising, but also pursuing common and shared prosperity while creating new opportunities for neighbouring countries. It has opened its borders and economic sectors to these neighbouring countries.
In this way, Xinjiang is leading the mission to create a strong and prosperous neighbourhood to achieve the goal of a community with a shared future with its neighbours. It is anticipated in the coming days, Xinjiang will take further steps to enhance its efforts in building a community with a shared future.