As the world entered 2026, President Xi Jinping in his New Year Message urged the nation to spur ahead like a galloping horse. The metaphor was especially apt as the Chinese zodiac Year of the Horse begins in February. 

In Xinjiang, the message arrived amid visible changes as well as high hopes. Meeting these aspirations will depend on grounding ambition in a commitment to secure a better future through hard work by all those who call this region home.

Recent projects highlight both capability and potential. The Urumqi-Yuli Expressway, tunneling through the Tianshan Mountains that bisect Xinjiang into northern and southern parts, is more than a feat of engineering. It stitches markets and communities together, lowering logistics costs and travel times. In energy, the Xinjiang Oilfield, lying in the Junggar Basin, China's second largest basin, achieved annual carbon dioxide storage of over 1 million tons last year, marking a breakthrough in the country's large-scale application of carbon capture, utilization and storage technologies. In recent years, the oilfield has explored carbon dioxide-enhanced oil recovery methods by capturing emitted carbon dioxide and injecting it underground to help form concentrated oil banks. This technology can sustain high oil production while reducing carbon emissions. These initiatives align with China's efforts to promote high-quality development, characterized by innovative, coordinated, green, open and shared growth.

Xinjiang's emphasis on fostering a stronger sense of community for the Chinese nation is equally essential. Scenes of shared celebration reflect a desire for cohesion. For instance, a short video showing a primary school girl from Hetian (Hotan) Prefecture attending a national flag raising ceremony with tears in her eyes at Tiananmen Square in central Beijing in July 2025, overcome by the significance of the event, went viral online. Last August, a record-breaking 5,282 people joined a mass accordion performance of the song My Motherland and I in Tacheng Prefecture, a region known for the popularity of this musical instrument.

Durable unity rests on trust, and trust is built when people feel their rights are under protection. The government will continue to work to ensure equal access to quality education and healthcare, support initiatives that help preserve ethnic minority languages and cultures, and meaningful participation in local decision-making; they are prerequisites for social vitality.

Livelihoods are the test that matters most to families. Urban renewal projects including adding elevators to aging buildings and replacing old pipes make dense neighborhoods safer and more livable. Targeted employment programs and skills training help job seekers.

In the countryside, specialty orchards producing fruits ranging from melons to grapes benefit from better cold-chain logistics, branding and e-commerce that turn seasonal harvests into year-round income. The next step is to strengthen quality assurance, expand value-added processing and enhance climate resilience, thereby generating greater revenue that will help narrow the income and living standard disparities with urban areas.

The horse metaphor is apt for its sense of pace and power. But direction matters as much as speed. "A successful venture should start with a good plan and with clear goals set. We should focus on our goals and tasks, boost confidence, and build momentum to press ahead," Xi said in his New Year Message.

As people in Xinjiang turn plans into local reality, the vast region, which accounts for one sixth of China's total land area, will contribute to the nation's progress and prosperity. Galloping ahead is the ambition. Ensuring everyone can safely join the ride should be the priority.