The Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region’s GDP remarkably witnessed 6.1 percent year-on-year during 2024, surpassing 2 trillion yuan (US$273 billion) for the first time vividly reflecting its economic strengthen, stability and sustainability and diversification. Additionally, its major economic indicators also ranked among the top in terms of Chinese provincial localities last year.
It is a good omen that Xinjiang’s economic and social stability has been further consolidated as the region’s economy gained new momentum, and its development quality and efficiency constantly improved during 2024.
Moreover, the increase of 8 percent of the value-added output of large-scale industries, 6.9 percent of fixed-asset investment, 2 percent of retail sales, 21.8 percent of total trade and 5.5 percent year-on-year of urban per capita disposable incomes clearly demonstrating its qualitative economic outlook negating all deceitful and bogus media reports of the western media outlets.
Furthermore, it seems that the constant growth of all economic indicators reflects Xinjiang’s resilience and sustained growth momentum, in the face of some Western nations’ defamatory narratives and discriminatory trade measures that aim to disrupt Xinjiang’s development and undermine the region’s stability.
Definitely, the 2 trillion yuan GDP milestone means that Xinjiang’s economic size has exceeded that of neighboring Kazakhstan and is well ahead of Pakistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan projecting it as a new economic powerhouse increasing its trans-regional connectivity, foreign trade, qualitative industrial productivity, hybrid agriculture, digitalization, artificial intelligence, openness, and last but not least modernization gearing towards a more progressive and prosperous future in the days to come.
Obviously Xinjiang has also become one of the most important connecting hubs for the further development and expansion of the BRI thus its growing importance in the country’s economic landscape is becoming more evident.
Evidently, its significant potential in agricultural mechanization and renewable energy has become a new driving force for its constant and continued economic growth rate putting it above the national average enabling it to more seamlessly integrate with the broader national market.
It is pertinent to mention that Xinjiang has followed a well-balanced economic growth policy which has further increased rural growth. During 2024, its grain production increased by 4.22 billion jin (2.11 million tons). The average grain yield per mu (0.067 hectares) reached 1,050 jin, ranking the highest in China.
On the other hand, the region’s new-energy sector has registered robust development, with three 10-million-kilowatt new-energy bases being established.
It has further strengthened easy and smooth supplies of energy through the construction of the new-energy system which have led to the integration of 40.37 million kilowatts of new energy into the regional grid, accounting for more than 50 percent of the region’s total electricity generation capacity.
Interestingly, it aims for robust social and economic development in 2025, as it celebrates its 70th anniversary of establishment this year. It targets its GDP growth of around 6 percent after it beat a 2-trillion-yuan GDP (about US$278 billion) during 2024. Hopefully, for 2025, Xinjiang will further advance high-quality development, deepen reform, and expand high-level opening up while carrying out law-based counter-terrorism and stability work and preventing and defusing risks in key areas.
It sounds great that it has put priority on ten key industries mainly oil and gas production and processing, clean coal, new power system, green mining and processing, advanced manufacturing and new materials, grain and food processing, cotton and clothing, livestock products and high-quality fruits and vegetables, culture and tourism, and logistics.
It has a developing economy, advanced production capacity, and diversified sectors of economy which are contributing their positive part in its overall GDP. Covering one-sixth of China’s total land area, Xinjiang boasts breathtaking landscapes and its tourism sector has taken off with improved infrastructure and accessibility in recent years.
The region’s tourism revenue jumped by 21 percent to over 359-billion-yuan last year with 300 million tourists received. For 2025, it expects to receive 320 million tourists.
Xinjiang has also continued to enhance its role in the BRI. The region saw over 16,400 China-Europe freight trains passing through in 2024, a 14-percent increase from the previous year showing the strategic value of its trans-regional connectivity.
Comparative studies of its economic development reveal that from 1952 to 2020, Xinjiang’s per capita GDP increased from 166 yuan (US$22.79) to 53,593 yuan (US$7,358). Thus Xinjiang is on the path of greater progress and prosperity transforming the economy and communities, minorities and their cultures alike.
The drastic increase in life expectancy showing increase in the health level of the people clearly mitigating the western propaganda of any kind of ethnic discrimination or genocide. Average life expectancy in Xinjiang was less than 30 years in 1949 but 74.7 years in 2019.
On the other hand, literacy rate has become 100 percent and now almost all children of the relevant age attend primary school, and the completion rate of nine-year compulsory education is close to 100 percent. College education has expanded enormously, including for ethnic minorities students. So there is no restriction on the specific minorities to get enrolled or educated in Xinjian.
There is no cultural discrimination, erasure and suppression of Uygurs and other minorities in Xinjiang in terms of traditions, rituals, religions, faiths. Moreover, ethnic minorities still use their own language in their own contexts. Official signs are in both Uygur and Chinese. There is still literature written in ethnic languages. Some schools use ethnic languages for instruction in some courses.
Therefore, learning of modern standard Chinese Putonghua should not be taken as any form of societal squashing because the public sphere, including government, law and education, increasingly uses Putonghua further enhancing national unity.
It is pertinent to mention that the government is spending lots of the energy and money on preserving and presenting knowledge of the past and local culture and the education system is encouraging young people to appreciate ethnic and local culture.
In summary, Xinjiang’s strategic location within the BRI has enabled it to emerge as a critical corridor linking Asia and Europe. In 2024, the region established trade ties with 213 countries and regions, with imports and exports to BRI countries growing by 18.7 percent. Trade with RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership) and ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) member countries surged by 167.8 percent and 191.9 percent, respectively.
The latest national population census in 2020 included all the 55 ethnic minorities showing a formal recognition of those ethnic groups, and no attempt to erase any of them.
The activation of more than 3,000 state-owned and private enterprises engaging in foreign trade across Xinjiang, reflecting the region’s expanding economic footprint. Thus favourable policies of the free trade zone, and customs clearance has become faster, enabling us to handle larger international orders with confidence benefiting from the China (Xinjiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ), established in November 2023. The FTZ spans Urumqi, Kashgar, and Horgos, making it the first of its kind in China’s northwestern border regions and the 22nd nationwide.
It seems that the growth in Xinjiang’s foreign trade is attributed to robust policy support and streamlined customs processes. enhanced supervision and service measures that have driven quality development in the region’s trade sector.
To conclude around 20 percent of global cotton, 40 percent of the world’s supply of polysilicon for solar panels, and 13 percent of the global output of wind turbines are manufactured in Xinjiang clearly demonstrating its economic potential disseminating equal opportunities and fair and free economic dividends for all.
About 25 percent of tomato paste, 11 percent of walnuts, and 10 percent of the world’s rayon also originate from here. Thus Xinjiang has become a global manufacturing hub and “reliable supply chain.
