Su Cheng: Composing a New Chapter in the Xinjiang Practice of Chinese-Style Modernization
In 1955, the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region was officially established, becoming the first provincial-level ethnic autonomous region founded after the birth of New China. Over the past 70 years, and particularly since the 18th Party Congress, the cadres and masses of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang—under the firm leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the guidance of the Party’s strategy for governing Xinjiang in the New Era—have driven achievements in Xinjiang’s economic and social development and the improvement of people’s livelihoods that are without precedent. The sense of gain, happiness, and security among the masses of all ethnic groups has been continuously strengthened. Practice has proven that the Party’s strategy for governing Xinjiang in the New Era is entirely correct and must be upheld over the long term. To further improve work related to Xinjiang, we must completely, accurately, and comprehensively implement the Party’s strategy for governing Xinjiang in the New Era, firmly grasp Xinjiang's strategic positioning within the overall national context, and focus on the general goal of social stability and long-term peace and stability. We must promote continuous new progress and results in governing Xinjiang in accordance with the law, stabilizing Xinjiang through unity, nourishing Xinjiang through culture, enriching the people to develop Xinjiang, and developing Xinjiang through long-term commitment, striving to write a new chapter of Xinjiang’s practice of Chinese-path modernization.
Recognizing the Importance of Xinjiang Work from a Strategic and Overall Perspective
Since ancient times, Xinjiang has been an inseparable part of Chinese territory and an important gateway for the opening of Chinese civilization to the world. The stability, development, and prosperity of Xinjiang are vital to the overall progress of Chinese-path modernization.
Upon its founding, the CPC took the pursuit of happiness for the Chinese people, including all ethnic groups in Xinjiang, and the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, including all ethnic groups in Xinjiang, as its original aspiration and founding mission. Throughout the various historical periods of revolution, construction, and reform, the CPC has drawn upon historical experiences and lessons in governing Xinjiang, continuously innovating and developing concepts for governing the region, and endowing Xinjiang work with new contemporary connotations and mission tasks. Since the 18th Party Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has attached great importance to Xinjiang work, noting that "doing Xinjiang work well is a matter of great significance to the overall situation and is a major event for the entire Party and the whole country," and emphasizing that "Xinjiang work occupies a special and important position in the overall work of the Party and the state, and is vital to the cause of building a strong country and national rejuvenation," thereby drawing the blueprint and guiding the course for building a beautiful Xinjiang. The cadres and masses of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang have worked together in unity and struggled hand-in-hand to promote historic achievements and historic transformations in all undertakings in Xinjiang in the New Era.
On the new journey of comprehensively promoting Chinese-path modernization, the importance of Xinjiang work must be recognized from a strategic and overall height. Located on China’s northwest frontier, Xinjiang is an important strategic barrier for safeguarding national security. As the core area of the Silk Road Economic Belt [1], Xinjiang is an important window for China’s westward opening-up and a crucial transportation hub, trade and logistics center, and hub for finance, culture, science, education, and medical services connecting the Eurasian continent. Serving as a national strategic guarantee base for energy and resources and a national supply base for high-quality agricultural and livestock products, Xinjiang provides essential support for the nation’s economic and social development. As a home shared by many ethnic groups, Xinjiang solidly promotes the building of a community for the Chinese nation [2], carries out ethnic work in the direction of enhancing commonality, and educates and guides people of all ethnic groups to firmly establish the concept of a community in which they share weal and woe, honor and disgrace, and life and death, as they jointly build our great motherland and create a better life.
Historic Achievements in Xinjiang’s Economic and Social Development in the New Era
Entering the New Era, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has examined, planned, and deployed Xinjiang work from the strategic height of building a strong country and national rejuvenation. It has continuously deepened its understanding of the laws governing Xinjiang's administration, clarified the general goal of social stability and long-term peace and stability, and established the Party’s strategy for governing Xinjiang in the New Era. The people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang have persisted in taking Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as their guide, completely, accurately, and comprehensively implemented the Party’s strategy for governing Xinjiang in the New Era, closely followed the main line of forging a sense of community for the Chinese nation, and promoted high-quality development in close connection with people's livelihoods.
The economy has maintained healthy and rapid growth, and the modern industrial system has been continuously refined. The regional Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increased from 749.947 billion yuan in 2012 to 2,053.408 billion yuan in 2024, surpassing the 2 trillion yuan mark for the first time; per capita regional GDP increased from 33,495 yuan in 2012 to 78,660 yuan in 2024, a 1.3-fold increase at current prices. Based on its resource conditions and industrial foundation, Xinjiang has accelerated the construction of a modern industrial system. The industrial structure has been continuously optimized, the formation of a national supply base for high-quality agricultural and livestock products has accelerated, and the construction of a national strategic guarantee base for energy and resources has quickened. New-generation information technology and other industries are developing rapidly, while tourism, logistics, and other sectors are showing increased vitality, becoming new growth points.
The construction of the core area of the Silk Road Economic Belt has accelerated, continuously raising the level of opening-up. Xinjiang has consciously integrated its regional opening-up strategy into the national master plan for westward opening-up. By taking the construction of "one terminal, two zones, five major centers, and a port economic belt" [3] as a starting point, it is building a golden corridor between Asia and Europe and a bridgehead for westward opening-up. The construction of major channels for opening-up has accelerated, with the number of open ports reaching 19. A total of 119 bilateral international road transport routes and 10 multilateral international road freight routes have been opened. In 2024, 16,400 China-Europe (Central Asia) freight trains passed through Xinjiang, maintaining a level of over 10,000 for five consecutive years. The scale of trade has continued to rise, with total imports and exports increasing from 158.96 billion yuan in 2012 to 434.16 billion yuan in 2024. Platforms for opening-up have become more robust; the China (Xinjiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone was approved for establishment in October 2023. In 2024, it saw the addition of more than 9,000 new enterprises, with its total import and export volume accounting for over 30% of Xinjiang’s total, showing a preliminary leading and driving role in promoting trade and investment facilitation and clustering advantageous industries.
People’s well-being has been continuously enhanced, and the masses’ sense of gain has been steadily strengthened. Since the start of the New Era, Xinjiang, along with the rest of the country, has comprehensively built a moderately prosperous society in all respects, and the problem of absolute poverty that plagued Xinjiang for thousands of years has been historically resolved. Simultaneously, every effort has been made to promote high-quality and full employment, with the total number of employed persons increasing from 12.46 million in 2012 to 13.91 million in 2024, an increase of 11.64%. The income of urban and rural residents has grown steadily; in 2024, the per capita disposable income of urban residents was 42,820 yuan and that of rural residents was 19,427 yuan, increases of 23,801 yuan and 12,551 yuan respectively compared to 2012. Educational undertakings have developed in an all-around way. In 2024, the gross enrollment rate for preschool education in Xinjiang reached 102.72% [4], the consolidation rate for nine-year compulsory education reached over 99%, and the gross enrollment rate for senior high school education reached 97.74%, all higher than the national average.
The construction of ecological civilization has achieved significant results, and the foundation for green and low-carbon development has become more solid. Xinjiang has firmly established the concept that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets," persisted in the integrated protection and systematic management of mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands, and deserts, and comprehensively promoted the construction of a beautiful Xinjiang. Results in atmospheric environmental governance have become apparent; in 2024, the proportion of days with "good" air quality in Xinjiang's cities at or above the prefectural level was 78.1%. Through the scientific utilization of water resources, improved water efficiency, and strengthened water environment governance, the proportion of Xinjiang’s surface water reaching or exceeding Grade III quality was 95.9% in 2024. The construction of the "Three-North" Shelterbelt Forest Program [5] has been continuously promoted, with forest coverage increasing from 4.24% in 2012 to 5.07% in 2024. Over the past 30 years, the area of oases has grown by 56.6%. The "battle of resistance" around the edge of the Taklamakan Desert has been sustained, achieving the successful closure of the 3,046-kilometer ecological barrier—the world's longest surrounding a desert. Efforts to achieve carbon peaking and carbon neutrality have been actively promoted, and carbon dioxide emissions per unit of regional GDP have continued to decline.
Demonstrating New Achievements in the Practice of Chinese-path Modernization
On the new journey, Xinjiang work must be planned within the overall context of Chinese-path modernization. We must better coordinate development and security, as well as opening-up and security, and continue to perform the fundamental, foundational, and long-term work that bears upon long-term peace and stability, seizing new opportunities and demonstrating new achievements.
First, we must completely, accurately, and comprehensively implement the new development philosophy. High-quality development is the primary task of comprehensively building a modern socialist country and is development that embodies the new development philosophy. To promote high-quality development in Xinjiang, we must fully implement this philosophy. We should vigorously implement the strategy of developing Xinjiang through science and technology, strengthen the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation with industrial development, deepen the reform of the scientific evaluation system and incentive mechanisms, accelerate the aggregation of innovative elements, and develop new quality productive forces according to local conditions. We must promote integrated urban-rural development and coordinated regional development, advance people-centered new-type urbanization, and accelerate the urbanization of the agricultural migrant population. Simultaneously, we should focus on improving rural development levels, deeply excavate characteristic rural resources, implement brand strategies, and cultivate new rural industries and business formats. We must expand the results of ecological governance in key areas, vigorously promote green and low-carbon development, and push for the clean, low-carbon, safe, and efficient use of energy, so that Xinjiang’s skies are bluer, its mountains greener, and its waters clearer. We must accelerate high-level opening-up, promote the construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt core area, and actively build a golden corridor for Eurasia and a bridgehead for westward opening-up. High-quality development should be promoted in close connection with people's livelihoods, continuously improving the quality of life for the masses, and working hard on stabilizing and expanding employment and weaving a dense and strong social security net.
Second, we must build a modern industrial system that reflects Xinjiang's characteristics and advantages. Based on resource endowments and locational advantages, we must give full play to the important role of oil and gas, coal, minerals, grain, cotton, fruits, and vegetables in the overall national economic development. We should cultivate and strengthen characteristic and advantageous industries, using scientific and technological innovation to drive the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries and the cultivation of strategic emerging industries. We must better build the national strategic guarantee base for energy and resources, promoting oil and gas exploration and the coupled development of coal power, wind, solar, hydrogen, and energy storage, while strengthening the construction of the main power grid. We should continue to build a national supply base for high-quality agricultural and livestock products, promoting the upgrading of the entire chain of "production, procurement, storage, processing, and sales." Strategic emerging industries should be developed, wind and solar resources should be developed with high quality, new energy bases should be built, and a hydrogen energy industrial chain should be constructed. We should promote the development of new material industries such as silicon-based and aluminum-based materials and strengthen photovoltaic manufacturing industry clusters. We should promote the development of industries such as cultural tourism and modern logistics, creating a trillion-yuan-level cultural tourism industry cluster. Relying on ports such as Horgos, we should develop cross-border e-commerce and optimize the layout of overseas warehouses.
Third, we must accelerate the cultivation of Southern Xinjiang as a new growth pole. Southern Xinjiang accounts for about two-thirds of the total area of the region; it is both the focus and the difficulty of Xinjiang work, as well as the location of its great potential. We must strive to solve the prominent problems and bottleneck constraints of Southern Xinjiang's development. It is necessary to optimize the spatial layout of industries in Southern Xinjiang, accelerate the construction of green mining and new energy industry bases, and strengthen characteristic and advantageous industries such as fruit and forestry, cotton, animal husbandry, and tourism. We should accelerate urbanization in Southern Xinjiang, gathering more people to settle, live, and start businesses through higher education and industrial development. Multiple measures should be taken to promote comprehensive rural revitalization, focusing on making the industrial "cake" bigger and promoting stable employment and income growth for the masses. Furthermore, we must significantly improve the modernization level of infrastructure in Southern Xinjiang, strengthening the construction of major projects in water conservancy, transportation, power, and communications to lay a solid foundation for long-term development.