Xinjiang Witnesses Good Economic, Social Developments

The Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is enjoying its "best time ever in terms of ethnic equality and harmony," a top official from the region said Tuesday in Beijing.

Zhang Zou, one of four Han Chinese among eight vice-chairmen in the ethnically diverse region of 17.8 million people, said ethnic minorities enjoyed preferential policies in Xinjiang in family planning, education and job allocation.

"The problem of ethnic discrimination doesn't exist and the whole society in Xinjiang enjoys high level security and stability," Zhang told a news conference.

He said the region had just issued a new regulation regarding foreign investment which included a variety of preferential policies concerning land leasing and tax.

"Those policies are more competitive than those in China's coastal regions," Zhang said.

Ablety Abdurexty, chairman of Xinjiang, spoke of the 4,000 kilometre west-to-east gas pipeline project which crosses nine province sand called for foreign investment.

"Foreign companies involved in the gas industry or pipeline construction could invest directly or establish jointly ventures," he said.

As the source of the gas, Xinjiang would take full advantage of the project, Abdurexty said.

Development plans for the region were unveiled following the central government's strategy to develop western parts of China.

Xinjiang will focus on water conservation construction and communications. The economy will be based on top quality industries and priority will be given to developing the economic belt stretching from

Urumqi in the east to Maytag in the west. This area includes Urumqi, Changji, Shihezi, Shawan, Usu, Kuytun, Maytag and Karamay.

Work will go into protecting the environment and various conservation projects are planned.

Education will be given priority with much attention being paid to developing science and technology.

Xinjiang will take greater advantage of its location to step up trade with central and west Asia as well as East European markets.

The Xinjiang region covers 1.66 million square kilometres, one sixth of the total land area of China. It adjoins eight countries along an international border of 5,600 kilometres.



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