Urumqi: Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region experienced steady economic growth during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), with fixed-asset investment and foreign trade ranking among the highest in the country.
According to Emirates News Agency, a government work report delivered at the annual regional legislative session in Urumqi revealed that Xinjiang's GDP grew at an average annual rate of 5.9 percent over the past five years. Fixed-asset investment rose by an average 9.8 percent annually, while foreign trade expanded by an average of 28.5 percent each year.
Wen Hua, Secretary of the Leading Party Members Group of the Xinjiang Regional Development and Reform Commission, stated at a news conference that fixed-asset investment increased by 7.2 percent last year, placing Xinjiang second nationwide despite a national economic slowdown.
As the region prepares for the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30), Wen highlighted Xinjiang's strong foundation and policy space for growing effective investment. The focus will be on boosting domestic demand, enhancing institutional frameworks, and fostering collaboration among government, financial institutions, and businesses.
Xinjiang has established industrial clusters in sectors such as oil and gas, clean coal utilization, new-type power systems, green mining, advanced manufacturing, and new materials. Xu Hongyun, Director of the Regional Government's Research Office, noted that these sectors contribute more than 90 percent of industrial added value from large-scale enterprises, helping Xinjiang's GDP to reach 2.15 trillion yuan ($309.5 billion) in 2025, surpassing the 2 trillion yuan mark for two consecutive years.
The report indicated that Xinjiang's oil and gas output ranked first nationwide for each of the past five years, totaling 320 million metric tonnes. Installed new-energy capacity reached 167 million kilowatts, accounting for nearly two-thirds of the region's total power capacity. Outbound electricity transmission grew at an average annual rate of 3.6 percent, with green electricity comprising over 30 percent of the total.
Li Xuan, Secretary of the Leading Party Members Group of Xinjiang's Department of Commerce, stated that the region's share of national foreign trade volume rose from 0.5 percent to 1.1 percent. In 2025, Xinjiang reported the highest growth rate in foreign trade volume in the country.