XINJIANG
UYGUR AUTONOMOUS REGION
General Background
Xinjiang - abbreviated as Xin - is located in the Northwest
region. Xinjiang is the
largest autonomous region of China. Separated by the Tianshan
Mountain, Xinjiang is divided
into NanJiang, BeiJiang and DongJiang.
The world's largest inland basin ⌒ Tarim basin, and the second largest float desert ⌒ Takla Makan Desert are found in the region. The region's capital is Urumqi
which enjoys the same preferential policies as a coastal city.
Major ethnic groups in the region are Uygur and Han,
accounting for 47% and 39% of the region's population respectively. Other ethnic groups include Kazak, Hui,
Kirgiz, Mongolian,
Tatar, Daur, Xibe, Russian, Tajik and Uzbek.
Xinjiang is China's
largest growing base of cotton and hops.
Output of cotton and hops in 1999 accounted for 33% and 80% of
the countryˇs total respectively.
With the second largest pastureland, the region is one of the
major sheep farming areas and fine-wool producers in China. It provides more than 40% of the country's
total fine-sheep wool output and its milk production in the region ranked
the fourth in China
in 1999. Besides, Xinjiang
is a major agricultural base of grain, sugarbeet and fruits, of which,
Yining apples, Korla pears, seedless white grapes and Hami melon are
famous at home and abroad.
Xinjiang is rich in energy resources. It has the largest reserves of oil, natural
gas and coal in the country. Its
coal reserves reach 27 million tons (40% of the countryˇs total) and
oil reserves amount to 30 billion tons.
Crude oil output which reached 17.4 million tons in 1999 was
the third highest in the country.
The oil and gas reserves found in Tarim, Junggar and Turpan-Hami
basins in the region account for one-fourth and one-third of the country's
total.
Xinjiang's reserves of mineral resources are great as
well. The region's reserves
of beryllium and mica are the highest in China. Some of the regionˇs granite products
such as ¨Xinjiang Red,〃 Tianshan White〃 and ¨Snowflower Black〃
are famous brands in the country.
The countryˇs largest copper mine is also found in Xinjiang. There are 100 locations with a total of
over 1 billion cubic metres of proven granite reserves.
Infrastructure
Railways ⌒ The region is mainly served
by the LanXin lineLanzhou-Xinjiangwhich links up with the Longhai lineLanzhou-Lianyungangand the NanJiang lineKorla- Kashi. Construction of Qinxin lineGulmod in Qinghai and Korla in Xinjiangis under planning stage.
Highways ⌒ By the end of 2000, the total
length of roads and highways in the region reached 35,600 kilometres,
covering over 99% of the counties, townships and villages. Major highways include TurUDaiTurpan-Urumqi-Daihuangshan, U-Kui ExpresswayUrumqi-Kuitun, LanXin lineLanzhou-Xinjiang, QinXin lineQinghai-Xinjiangand XinTibet lineXinjiang-Tibet .
Air Transport ⌒ The Urumqi Airport has flight services to 59 international and domestic
destinations including Ningbo, Shenyang, Xi'an, Moscow, Saberian, Islamabad,
etc. The reconstruction
of the Yili Airport in 1998 and the Karsh
Airport in 1999 have improved
the aviation services of Xinjiang.
Xinjiang Airlines has signed an agreement with a Hong
Kong company in March 2001 to start the first direct-chartered
flight between Urumqi and
Hong Kong.
According to the agreement, there will be one return flights
on every Saturday from June 24 to October
6, 2001.
Telecommunications ⌒ Program-controlled telephones are available in 98% of township and 52%
of administrative villages in Xinjiang.
At present, there are about 1.7 million telephone users in the
region. Direct dial service to Hong
Kong and other major cities in the world is available. Mobile phone service is increasingly popular,
at end-1999, there were 180,000 mobile phone users in Urumqi.
Xinjiang built a digital microwave telecommunications
trunk which links cities on both sides of the Tianshan
Mountain, an fiberoptic cable
system leading to neighbouring countries with a total length of 25,000
kilometres, and 10 satellite ground stations.
The region has also setup a digital data network, a conference
TV system, a smart terminal and a multi-media network.
The number of data transmission users has risen to 105,000.
Wind Power ⌒ More than 200 power-generating
units are in operation at the wind power centre in Dabancheng.
The generating capacity of the center makes up one-third of the
total installed wind power capacity in the country.
Gas Supply ⌒ Under China's energy development
strategy, a major gas pipeline running from the Tarim Basin to Shanghai
with a total length of 4,167 kilometers will start construction in the
last quarter of 2001. The
pipeline which runs through Gansu,
Shaanxi, Shanxi,
Henan, Anhui
and Jiangsu and Ningxia
Hui Autonomous Region, will be able to transmit 12 billion cubic metre
of gas annually from the west to the east upon completion by end-2003.
Industries
In 2000, total added value of industrial output of the
region was Rmb42.2 billion, increased by 9% over 1999. Urumqi,
Karamai, Korla and Tulufan are some of the major industrial production
centres in the region.
Heavy industries like oil, petrochemicals and coal production
formed a fundamental part of Xinjiangˇs industrial development, accounting
for 69% of the regionˇs total industrial output in 1999. Besides, the region has developed light
industries like textiles and garments (especially wool and cashmere),
leather processing, paper making, sugar refining and carpet weaving. The Xinjiangˇs government targets to
accelerate development of information, biotech, energy and environmental
protection industries in the 10th Five-Year Plan period.
Tourism
Situated in the middle of the Silk Road,
Xinjiang has abundant cultural and historical relics at Kashi, Gaochang,
Jiaohe and Loulan. Other
famous touristic spots include Tianshan
Mountain, Tianchi
Lake, Bizaklik
Thousand-Buddha Caves,
Flaming Mountains,
etc.
In 2000, about 240,000 overseas tourists and 7.6 million
domestic tourists visited the region and generated total revenue of
US$93 million (+10%) and Rmb6.4 billion (+14%) respectively.
Consumer Market
Retail sales of consumer goods in the whole region rose
by 7.8% to Rmb37.5 billion in 2000.
In Urumqi, which
is the largest consumer centre in the region, recorded Rmb10.7 billion
retail sales of consumer goods in the first 11 months of 2000, an increase
of 11.5% from the same period in 1999.
Major department stores and shopping centres in Xinjiang
include Urumqi Tianshan Department Store, Urumqi Youhao Department Store,
Xinjiang Department Store, Hongshan Shopping Arcade, Urumqi
Dashizi Commercial
Building, Tulufan Department
Store, Hami Department Store and Xinjian Shengchan Jianshe Bingtuan
Department Store.
Foreign Trade
Xinjiang's exports rose by 14.4% amounting to US$1.2
billion in 2000. Major
export items included canned food, cotton, garment, silk products, woolen
yarn, etc. In addition
to the traditional export markets like Kirghizistan, Kazakhstan, Hong
Kong, Japan and the US, the region has diversified into new export markets
in Southeast Asia, Korea, Latin America and Africa.
Imports rose by 45.3% to US$1.4 billion in 2000. Major import goods included aluminum and
steel product, chemical fertilizer, paper and paper products, medical
equipment, etc. Major import sources were Kazakhstan,
Hong Kong, the US,
Russia
and Uzbekistan.
Xinjiang is the second largest border trade zone in China,
after Heilongjiang Province. Border trade reached US$1.3 billion in
2000 (+29%), accounting for 58.3% of the region's total trade. There are 16 ports open for border trade
with neighbouring countries. Major
export goods included foodstuff, textiles, chemical fibre cloth, garment,
etc. Major imports included
raw materials, chemical fertilizer, etc.
Foreign Investment
In 2000, the number of newly approved foreign-funded
projects totalled 58 (+11.5%) with contractual and utilized foreign
investment increased to US$92.1 million and US$19 million respectively. By the end of 2000, investors from
36 countries had made a total of US$380 million investment in the region,
of which Hong Kong, Macau
and Taiwan
accounted for 63%. Most
foreign capital was invested in oil/gas exploitation and manufacturing
industries like foodstuff, textiles and pharmaceuticals.
The Urumqi Foreign Economic Relations and Trade Fair
is a major annual event in Xinjiang to promote foreign trade and inward
investment. In the coming
year, the region will focus on expanding its border trade, attract foreign
funds in developing its petroleum and natural gas resources facilities
in the Tarim, Turpan-Hami and Junggar basins as well as infrastructure
facilities. Besides, foreign investors are also encouraged
to participate in agricultural, food processing, textiles, petrochemicals,
mining, building materials, environmental protection and other industries
using advanced technology.
To boost the development of the central and western regions
in China,
the State Council has granted further tax incentives to foreign-invested
enterprises (FIEs) in China. Beginning from January 2001, foreign-invested
enterprises in the central and western regions would enjoy another three
years of preferential tax rate at 15% on top of the existing preferential
treatment (exemption of profit tax for the first two years and 50% reduction
for three years thereafter). The
tax rate can be further reduced to 10% when an enterprise is proved
to export more than 70% of its annual output in terms of value. Besides, the regionˇs government also
exempt the foreign investors from paying the 3% profit tax to the local
government if the business has an operating period exceeds 10 years.
Economic Indicators of Major
Cities (1999)
|
|
Population
|
GDP
|
Industrial
Output
|
Retail
Sales
|
|
Cities
|
('000)
|
(Rmb bn)
|
(Rmb bn)
|
(Rmb bn)
|
|
Urumqi
|
1,589
|
24.9 (+7.9%)
|
22.0 (+8.1%)
|
11.1 (+8.4%)
|
|
Ili
|
3,858
|
18.2 (+7.0%)
|
7.4
(+10.7%)
|
5.2
(+7.0%)
|
|
Changji
|
1,482
|
11.0 (+9.3%)
|
7.4 (11.1%)
|
2.8
(+7.3%)
|
|
Ba
|
1,012
|
10.9 (+8.0%)
|
4.1*
(+16.9%)
|
3.0
(+5.0%)
|
|
Karamai
|
269
|
10.2 (+7.5%)
|
16.9 (+4.1%)
|
1.2
(+6.2%)
|
|
Kashi
|
3,342
|
6.9
(-3.2%)
|
1.38 (+5.6%)
|
1.7
(+7.6%)
|
Note: Figures in ( ) represent year-on-year growth
* Added value of Industrial Output
Source: Xinjiang Statistical Yearbook
Major Economic & Technological
Development Zones (ETDZs)
By the end of 2000, Xinjiang has 10 development zones
of which 6 are state-level development zones and border cooperation
zones.
1.
Urumqi Economic and Technological
Development Zone which mainly engages in chemical industry, textile,
foodstuff, construction material, medicine and light industry. An International Trade/Tourist Shopping
Market was open in 1998 to attract more foreign investment.
2.
Urumqi Hi-tech Development Zone
which mainly engages in hi-tech and tertiary industries, medicine, machinery.
In 1999, the zone achieved Rmb702 million of industrial output
and total trade US$71.8 million.
3.
Shihezi Economic and Technological Development
Zone which mainly
engages in light industry. In
1999, there were 244 enterprises located in the zone, with its industrial
output totalled Rmb571 million and its foreign trade reached US$13.6
million.
4.
Yining Border Economic Cooperation Zone,
was approved by the State Council in June 1992 as an important base
of agricultural products.
5.
Bole City Border Economic Cooperation
Zone, a state-level zone approved by the State Council in December 1992,
mainly engages in export processing industry, machinery, high-grade
science and technology, medicine processing and mining industry.
6.
Tacheng City Border Economic Cooperation
Zone, was approved
by the State Council in December 1992.
Other development zones in Xinjiang include :
7.
Kuitun Economic and Technological
Development Zone, located on the wasteland of the Gobi
desert, is the third largest industrial production centre in Xinjiang.
Economic Indicators
|
|
1999
|
2000
|
|
Economic Indicators
|
Value
|
Growth
|
Value
|
Growth
|
|
|
|
(%, y-o-y)
|
|
(%, y-o-y)
|
|
Area (sq
km)
|
1,650,000
|
--
|
1,660,400
|
-
|
|
Population
(mn)
|
17.7
|
1.1
|
19.3
|
|
|
Gross Domestic
Product (RMB bn)
|
116.9
|
7.1*
|
135.6
|
8.2*
|
|
Per Capita
GDP (RMB)
|
6,653
|
3.4
|
7,433
|
|
|
Disposable
Income Per Capita
|
|
|
|
|
|
- urban (RMB)
|
5,320
|
6.4
|
5,870
|
8.1
|
|
- rural (RMB)
|
1,473
|
-7.9
|
1,620
|
8.0
|
|
Fixed-assets
Investment (RMB bn)
|
44.4
|
2.8
|
52.0
|
17.1
|
|
Added Value
Output
|
|
|
|
|
|
- primary industry (RMB bn)
|
27.2
|
-6.1
|
28.8
|
4.8
|
|
- secondary industry (RMB bn)
|
46.1
|
5.3
|
58.7
|
9.0
|
|
- tertiary industry (RMB bn)
|
43.8
|
13.1
|
49.0
|
10.4
|
|
Retail
Sales (RMB bn)
|
34.7
|
3.1
|
37.5
|
7.8
|
|
Inflation
(Consumer Price Index,%)
|
-2.6
|
|
-0.6
|
|
|
Exports
(US$ bn)
|
1.0
|
53.2
|
1.2
|
14.4
|
|
- by FIEs (US$ bn)
|
0.1
|
13.4
|
0.1
|
-5.4
|
|
Imports
(US$ bn)
|
1.0
|
-4.4
|
1.4
|
45.3
|
|
- by FIEs (US$ bn)
|
0.04
|
46.3
|
0.02
|
-45.5
|
|
Foreign
Direct Investment
|
|
|
|
|
|
- number of projects
|
52
|
13.0
|
58
|
11.5
|
|
- contracted amount (US$ bn)
|
0.06
|
-55.5
|
0.09
|
49.8
|
|
- utilized amount (US$ bn)
|
0.02
|
10.9
|
0.02
|
|
Notes: *
In Renminbi real terms
Sources: Xinjiang Statistical Yearbook and State Statistical
Bureau, 2000 statistics are preliminary figures based on press reports.
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