Chinese Premier Li Qiang has called on Xinjiang Region to develop distinctive and competitive industries based on local resource endowment and to improve the level of openness.
Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during an inspection tour in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region from Tuesday to Thursday.
Li visited the regional capital of Urumqi, Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture, and Wujiaqu, a city built and administered by the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. During the tour, he inspected an industrial park, enterprises, and a permanent settlement for herders.
In the Urumqi International Land Port Area, Li was briefed on the construction and operation of the port, and watched the real-time footage of the China-Europe Railway Express (Urumqi) assembly center and the border port.
He urged the region to improve connectivity between inland Chinese provinces and the countries along the China-Europe freight train routes and foster closer economic and trade ties with them.
More efforts should be made to expand the use of the China-Europe freight train channel, and to facilitate the industrial development along the routes, with particular emphasis on advancing the construction of key industrial parks and cultivating a robust industrial ecosystem, Li said.
The premier also called for enhanced international exchanges and broader cultural engagement in areas like commerce, education, healthcare, culture, and tourism.
During his visit to enterprises of different sectors, Li called for intensified efforts to develop energy, coal chemical, agriculture, agricultural processing, and equipment manufacturing industries based on local resource endowment.
The premier urged the enterprises to take the lead in their respective industries and contribute to the creation of complete industrial chains.
He emphasized the significance of deeper cooperation among China's eastern, central, and western regions to enhance national security in food, energy resources, and vital industrial and supply chains.
Li also visited the Tian'e residential complex in Changji, which houses over 500 herder households. There, Li chatted with the residents.
He stressed increased efforts in job creation and income generation for local residents, preserving and enriching ethnic cultures, and fostering closer relations among different ethnic groups.
The premier fully recognized the achievements of Xinjiang's economic and social development and expected the region to make more contributions to overall national development.