Southern Xinjiang works out new plan to set up an economic belt around Tarim

Special: Xinjiang

Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has proposed the establishment of an economic development belt surrounding Tarim to boost the development of southern Xinjiang region, which would represent a major breakthrough for the region's development, local media Xinjiang Daily reported on Tuesday.

The 8th plenary session of the 10th Party Committee of Xinjiang recently concluded a meeting, which discussed the tasks related to southern Xinjiang development as a top priority for regional government, stressing the need to improve the policy environment and support the high-quality growth of the region.

According to the meeting, the government will step up efforts across a number of aspects, including funding for manufacturing projects, and fiscal and financial support to improve the quality of life in Xinjiang and attracting talent to the region.

Duan Wanjun, deputy director of the Research Office of Xinjiang regional government, said the new policy supports the development of the whole of southern Xinjiang, including Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps in the region, the Xinjiang Daily reported.

"From the perspective of the development of the whole region, the document proposed set-up of an economic development belt surrounding Tarim Basin so as to lead the development of the whole region and achieve coordinative development with the North Slope of Tianshan Mountain Economic Development Belt. The plan represents a major breakthrough," Duan said.

In addition, the document attaches importance to the development of specialty industries in southern Xinjiang, Duan said. For example, a special fund for the development of southern Xinjiang will be set up so as to attract private capital and other sources of investment to attract leading enterprises to build industrial clusters there. 

Effort will also be made to ensure sufficient availability of production materials including water, land and energy, according to Duan.

Duan said the southern Xinjiang will make full use of the international and domestic markets to further expand opening-up and become a strategic junction of the Silk Road Economic Belt.