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Xinjiang Drafts Plan to Develop the Region
According to the Xinjiang Development Plan under the national strategy to develop China's western regions, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region will invest 900 billion yuan (US$108.83 billion) in fixed assets in the next decade.
By 2005, the region will invest a total of 100 billion yuan (US$12.09 billion) in more than 70 key projects, including infrastructure construction, environmental protection and development of pillar industries.
According to the plan, Xinjiang will become the top production base of cotton, cotton cloth and cotton yarn in China. It will also strive to become one of the largest production bases of grain, animal produce, fruit and sugar. It also plans to become the largest oil, natural gas and petrochemical base in western China.
To achieve these goals, the region plans to secure an annual economic growth of over 10 percent in the next few years.
The region will build a number of water conservancy projects in the next 10 years, including a series of north-south water diversion projects and tap into underground water. By 2005, the region plans to utilize 50 billion cubic meters of water resources.
It will build rail and road networks that connect the country with central and western Asian nations, including new railways to all major land outlets along its borders.
It will also renovate airports in Urumqi and Kashi and connect local power grids with the rest of western China.
With huge investment in six major environmental protection projects, Xinjiang will harness the Tarim river, curb desertification in the Tarim basin, restore ecological balance of the Ebinur lake, preserve original forests, turn crops fields back to forests and grassland and improve the quality of air in Urumqi.
The autonomous region is planning to turn tourism into a new growth industry in the next 10 years.
Taking advantage of the unique climate and natural conditions, the region will pay special attention to increasing production of grapes, medicine, tomato, livestock, animal produce and fruit. The local government began to draft the ambitious plan in July this year.
Han Xueqi, director of the Development Planning Commission of the regional government, said that the major task that lies ahead is to create a favorable environment and further develop the region in the future.
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