Xinjiang sets GDP growth target of 7%

Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region has set a GDP growth target of about 7 percent for 2023, according to an annual work report of the regional government unveiled on Saturday.

The region pledged to pay greater efforts to promote agriculture to increase farmers' incomes to advance revitalization of rural areas, the report said.

Highlighting the significance of protecting the national energy security, the government said in the report that it will focus more on developing industries focused on eight areas, including new materials, new energies, textile, traditional medicine, and digital economy.

Considering the regional natural and cultural resources, the government is planning to accelerate the development of tourism, logistics and financial services to improve consumption recovery, the report said.

It showed that the government will also expand investments, boost the construction of major infrastructure and facilitate the building of core areas involving the Silk Road Economic Belt.

Taking talent as a key to help the regional sustainable development, the government will further improve the quality of education, with more research on science and technology to stimulate innovation-driven growth, it said.

Reforms in industries, such as transportation, urban construction and mining, will be deeply advanced, so as to keep market entities energetic, it said, asking government departments to give residents easier access to administrative services.

Employment, social insurance and healthcare have also been put on the regional government's agenda this year to fully guarantee livelihood, it said, adding that environment protection and low-carbon development should be further strengthened.

Furthermore, the government said in the report that it will organize cultural activities to increase exchanges of ethic groups, with continuous efforts to maintain the regional stability and keep the healthy development of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps.

Recalling achievements in the past five years, the governments also pointed out in the report that the regional GDP is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 5.1 percent, adding that the per capital disposable income of urban residents increased by an average of 4.5 percent per year and the per capita disposable income or rural people rose by 8.4 percent per year.