Interview: BRI provides Xinjiang with unprecedented new opportunities for development: official

URUMQI, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has introduced new dimensions for China's opening-up to the outside world and provided Xinjiang with unprecedented new opportunities for development, according to an official in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

After a decade of exploration and practice, Xinjiang has made breakthroughs in promoting the construction of BRI projects, Yusupjan Mamat, vice chairman of Xinjiang regional government, told Xinhua in an interview.

"Xinjiang will continue to expand the opening-up and promote high-quality development of the BRI core area to achieve new progress and results," he said.

As the core area of the BRI, Xinjiang has made continuous efforts in areas such as policy coordination, infrastructure connectivity, financial integration, and people-to-people exchange over the past decade.

"Xinjiang's circle of friends has been expanding," said Yusupjan Mamat, noting that Xinjiang enterprises have made investments in more than 60 countries and regions, built four overseas economic and trade cooperation parks, and organized seven China-Eurasia Expos and nearly 50 commodity fairs in the past 10 years.

At present, the region has launched 118 international road transport routes, accounting for one-third of China's total, and its second railway line with Kazakhstan has been completed and put into operation. By the end of August, 65,000 China-Europe freight trains had passed through Xinjiang, making up more than half of the country's total.

Xinjiang has unique advantages in location, policy and resources, and in recent years it has been accelerating the formation of a modern industrial system supported by major local industries, such as green mining, grain and oil, cotton, textiles and clothing.

"With a series of preferential policies bolstering support for Xinjiang in trade, logistics, agriculture and energy, the region's advantageous industries have accelerated upgrading, which has provided new momentum for high-quality development," Yusupjan Mamat said.

"It has been proved that Xinjiang has the foundation, advantages and potential for opening-up and development, which can bring more benefits to people of all ethnic groups," he added.

"Xinjiang has always given priority to ensuring and improving people's wellbeing so that people of all ethnic groups can share the fruits of reform and opening-up and stable development," the official added.

He noted that all prefectures and cities in Xinjiang have been connected with expressways, all county-level areas with second-class and better roads, and all townships with paved roads. Besides, 25 civil transport airports have been built and put into operation.

Noting that Belt and Road cooperation now faces new circumstances, new tasks and new requirements, Yusupjan Mamat said Xinjiang will continue to focus on its priorities, push for a deeper and wider opening-up, and make new and greater contributions to promoting high-quality development of the Belt and Road cooperation.