As a border region of China, Xinjiang shoulders the responsibility of safeguarding the country's territorial security and stability. Continuously advancing high-quality development is essential for the autonomous region's lasting stability and prosperity. Therefore, the formulation of Xinjiang's 15th Five-Year Plan has been rooted in extensive and well-conceived research projects and consultations to see that this comprehensive blueprint for regional economic and social development over the course of 2026 to 2030 is forward-looking and workable.

The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee in October deliberated the Recommendations for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) for National Economic and Social Development, drafted after a long and meticulous process, and adopted them. The document provides the fundamental guidance upon which local CPC committees develop their recommendations for regional five-year plans.

At its 15th Plenary Session in Urumqi on November 10 and 11, the 10th CPC Committee of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region identified the economic and social development priorities of the autonomous region for the next five years in alignment with national development objectives.

Before the recommendations for the new regional five-year plan were worked out, the CPC Xinjiang regional committee held extensive consultations with regional leaders of non-CPC political parties, the economic and other communities and representatives from the primary level.

At a symposium for regional leaders of other political parties on November 3, Chen Xiaojiang, Secretary of the CPC Xinjiang regional committee, said President Xi Jinping and the CPC Central Committee have outlined a general philosophy, core principles, major objectives and strategic tasks for the country's economic and social development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period. The guiding principles of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee should be followed while formulating the regional five-year plan, according to Chen.

The next day, the Xinjiang regional government held a symposium to solicit opinions and suggestions from the economic, sci-tech and educational communities, as well as representatives from the primary level.

Erkin Tuniyaz, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Xinjiang regional committee and Chairman of the regional government, emphasized the necessity of focusing on forging a stronger sense of the Chinese nation as one community, grasping the opportunities in Xinjiang's development, and addressing major risks and challenges to build a modern socialist Xinjiang step by step.

The drafting process of the CPC Xinjiang regional committee's recommendations for formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan of the autonomous region, aligned with the proposed major strategic tasks of the country during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, reflects the thoughts, aspirations and wishes of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang and is geared to improve public wellbeing.

In the process, the CPC Xinjiang regional committee and the regional government achieved "in-depth understandings and grasps" of:

--the historical stage that the cause of the Party and the country will enter during the 15th Five-Year Plan period to identify the foothold for Xinjiang's economic and social development;

--the strategic tasks of overall importance to Chinese modernization during the 15th Five-Year Plan period to identify the focal points for Xinjiang's high-quality development; and

--the requirements for planning economic and social development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period to identify the approaches and pathways for addressing risks and challenges and solving development problems.

At the 15th Plenary Session of the 10th CPC Committee of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, it was noted that the economic and social development of Xinjiang during the 15th Five-Year Plan period will uphold the overall goal of social stability and lasting peace and security, and focus on forging a stronger sense of the Chinese nation as one community and heightening the sense of national identity. The guidelines are governing Xinjiang in accordance with the law, maintaining stability through ethnic unity, strengthening cultural identity and bonds, bringing greater prosperity to the region and its people and developing Xinjiang from a long-term perspective.

It was also noted that Xinjiang's five strategic roles in national development will be consolidated. They are: a golden channel across the Eurasian continent and a gateway for opening up to the west, a strategic pivot for fostering a new development paradigm, a strategic base of China's energy resources, a national base for high-quality agricultural and livestock products and a strategic barrier for safeguarding national geopolitical security.

It was stressed that during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, Xinjiang will adhere to the general principle of pursuing progress while ensuring stability and better coordinate development and security. The autonomous region will continue to pursue economic development as the central task, with high-quality development as its main focus, reform and innovation as the fundamental driving force, meeting the people's ever-growing needs for a better life as its fundamental goal, and full and rigorous Party self-governance as the fundamental underpinning for all its efforts. It will promote higher-quality economic growth while achieving an appropriate increase in economic output and make solid headway in promoting well-rounded personal development and common prosperity for all. Ultimately, Xinjiang will secure decisive progress toward basically realizing socialist modernization in step with other parts of the country.

Main Objectives for the 15th Five-Year Plan Period

--Reinforcement of the system and capacity for safeguarding national security

--Significant achievements in high-quality development

--Fresh breakthroughs in further deepening reform comprehensively

--Notable cultural and ethical progress across society

--Substantial improvements in scientific and technological innovation capacity

--Further improvements in quality of life of all ethnic groups

--Major new strides in building a Beautiful Xinjiang

--Notable advances in addressing prominent problems in south Xinjiang

--Better playing the special role of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, whose functions include production, administration and defense

Strategic Tasks and Main Measures for the 15th Five-Year Plan Period

--With a view of building Xinjiang into a strategic base of China's energy resources, accelerating the construction of a modern industrial system with distinctive advantages

--Implementing the strategy of invigorating Xinjiang through science and technology and developing new quality productive forces in light of local conditions

--With a view of transforming Xinjiang into a strategic pivot for fostering a new development paradigm, making integrated moves to advance Xinjiang's high-quality development and serving efforts to strengthen the domestic economy and promote unimpeded domestic and international economic flows

--Further deepening reform comprehensively to unleash the internal drive and vitality of high-quality development

--With a view of building a golden channel between Asia and Europe and a gateway for opening up to the West, expanding high-standard opening up

--With a view of developing Xinjiang into a national base for high-quality agricultural and livestock products, elevating the quality and efficiency of modern agriculture and animal husbandry development

--Refining economic layout and promoting integrated urban-rural development and coordinated regional development

--Fostering a thriving socialist culture and consolidating the ideological foundations for uniting the Chinese nation as one community

--Ensuring more equitable access to basic public services and improving quality of life of all ethnic groups

--Accelerating the green transition across the board and building a Beautiful Xinjiang

--With a view of forging a strategic barrier for safeguarding national geopolitical security, modernizing Xinjiang's national security system and capacity

--Moving faster to promote high-quality development in south Xinjiang, with a focus on addressing prominent problems

--Supporting the development of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps and strengthening its role in maintaining stability and defending border area.

(Print Edition Title: Mapping the Course)

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