China's Xinjiang sees steady growth in 2021-25

emirates7 - Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region recorded steady economic growth during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), with fixed-asset investment and foreign trade among the highest in the country, China Daily reported.

A government work report delivered at the annual regional legislative session in Urumqi said Xinjiang’s GDP grew at an average annual rate of 5.9 percent over the past five years. Fixed-asset investment rose by an average 9.8 percent a year, while foreign trade expanded by an average 28.5 percent annually.

Wen Hua, Secretary of the Leading Party Members Group of the Xinjiang Regional Development and Reform Commission, said at a news conference on Wednesday that fixed-asset investment increased by 7.2 percent last year, ranking second nationwide, despite a broader national slowdown.

Looking ahead to the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30), Wen said Xinjiang had a solid foundation and policy room to expand effective investment, with efforts to focus on boosting domestic demand, improving institutional frameworks and strengthening cooperation between government, financial institutions and businesses.

Xinjiang has developed industrial clusters in sectors including oil and gas, clean coal utilisation, new-type power systems, green mining, advanced manufacturing and new materials.

Xu Hongyun, Director of the Regional Government's Research Office, said these sectors account for more than 90 percent of industrial added value from large-scale enterprises, helping Xinjiang’s GDP reach 2.15 trillion yuan ($309.5 billion) in 2025, thereby exceeding the level of 2 trillion yuan for two consecutive years.

The report said Xinjiang’s oil and gas equivalent output ranked first nationwide in each of the past five years, totalling 320 million metric tonnes. Installed new-energy capacity reached 167 million kilowatts, nearly two-thirds of the region’s total power capacity. Outbound electricity transmission grew at an average annual rate of 3.6 percent, with green electricity making up over 30 percent of the total.

Li Xuan, Secretary of the Leading Party Members Group of Xinjiang's Department of Commerce, said the region's share of the national foreign trade volume has increased from 0.5 percent to 1.1 percent. In 2025, Xinjiang reported the highest growth rate in foreign trade volume in the country.