New Development Philosophy Guides Xinjiang’s High-Quality Development

High-quality development is the primary task in building a modern socialist country in all respects, and building a great modern socialist country in all respects requires a solid material and technological foundation. The work in Xinjiang holds a particularly important position in the overall work of the Party and the state, bearing on the overall situation of building a great country and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping has put forward important theses such as “to govern the country, one must govern the border areas” and “to revitalize the border areas, enrich the people, stabilize the border areas, and consolidate the border areas,” providing guidance and principles for accelerating high-quality development in border ethnic regions. [1]1 “To govern the country, one must govern the border areas” and “to revitalize the border areas, enrich the people, stabilize the border areas, and consolidate the border areas” are key theses on border governance put forward by Xi Jinping. The cadres and people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang have acted vigorously along the direction pointed out by General Secretary Xi Jinping, achieving major breakthroughs in all fields of economic and social development. The problem of absolute poverty that had plagued Xinjiang for thousands of years was solved historically; Xinjiang, together with the whole country, completed the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects. [2]2 The 18th National Congress of the CPC (2012) elected Xi Jinping as General Secretary and marked the beginning of a new era in China’s development. The historic resolution of absolute poverty refers to China’s official declaration in 2020 that it had eliminated absolute poverty nationwide. In 2024, the regional GDP grew by 6.1% year-on-year, exceeding the 2 trillion yuan mark. The scale of trade continued to improve, with total imports and exports crossing the 200 billion yuan, 300 billion yuan, and 400 billion yuan marks in 2022, 2023, and 2024 respectively. On the new journey, the foundation of “stability” in Xinjiang’s economic and social development is more solid, the momentum of “progress” is significantly enhanced, and the quality and efficiency of “innovation” have been greatly improved.

高质量发展是全面建设社会主义现代化国家的首要任务，全面建成社会主义现代化强国需要坚实的物质技术基础。新疆工作在党和国家工作全局中具有特殊重要的地位，事关强国建设、民族复兴大局。党的十八大以来，习近平总书记提出“治国必治边”“兴边富民、稳边固边”等重要论断，为加快边疆民族地区高质量发展提供了指引和遵循。新疆各族干部群众沿着习近平总书记指引的方向奋发有为，在经济社会发展各领域都取得了重大突破。困扰新疆数千年的绝对贫困问题得到历史性解决，新疆同全国一道全面建成小康社会；2024年地区生产总值同比增长6.1%、突破2万亿元大关；贸易规模持续提升，进出口总额在2022年、2023年、2024年分别跨越2000亿元、3000亿元、4000亿元大关。新征程上，新疆经济社会发展“稳”的基础更加牢固、“进”的动能显著增强、“新”的质效大幅提升。

To foster a new pattern of development, promote high-quality development, and advance Chinese-path modernization, Xinjiang faces new opportunities and must make new achievements. It is necessary to fully, accurately, and comprehensively implement the new development philosophy, use the new development philosophy to guide Xinjiang’s high-quality development, and make sufficient efforts in implementing the concepts of innovation, coordination, green development, openness, and sharing.

构建新发展格局、推动高质量发展、推进中国式现代化，新疆面临新机遇，要有新作为。必须完整、准确、全面贯彻新发展理念，以新发展理念引领新疆高质量发展，在贯彻落实创新、协调、绿色、开放、共享的发展理念上下足功夫。

First, promote innovative development and develop new quality productive forces according to local conditions. Innovation is the primary driving force. To promote high-quality development in Xinjiang, the first priority is to emancipate the mind, form innovative awareness and innovative thinking that adapt to new situations, new conditions, new goals, and new requirements, and remove institutional and mechanism obstacles through further comprehensively deepening reform. Scientific and technological innovation is the core element for developing new quality productive forces. Breakthroughs must be made in developing new quality productive forces according to local conditions, further promoting the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation, implementing the innovation-driven development strategy, continuously optimizing the institutional mechanisms for scientific and technological innovation, increasing support for technological innovation, fully stimulating and releasing the vitality of Xinjiang’s scientific and technological talents, and shaping new drivers and new advantages for development. For example, Xinjiang is rich in mineral resources. Driving economic growth through the development of various mineral resources is an important way to promote development. However, at the same time, attention must be paid to avoiding excessive dependence on the exploitation of natural resources. While “transporting Xinjiang’s coal to other regions” and “transmitting Xinjiang’s electricity to other regions,” it is necessary to actively cultivate strategic emerging industries, accelerate the development of the digital economy, and cultivate new growth points. [3]3 “Transporting Xinjiang’s coal to other regions,” “transmitting Xinjiang’s electricity to other regions,” and “Xinjiang’s computing power to Chongqing” are specific project initiatives that channel Xinjiang’s resources to other parts of China. In 2024, the first intelligent computing center in Xinjiang was completed and put into use in Karamay, and “Xinjiang’s computing power to Chongqing” was included in the national pilot for data infrastructure construction. [3]3 “Transporting Xinjiang’s coal to other regions,” “transmitting Xinjiang’s electricity to other regions,” and “Xinjiang’s computing power to Chongqing” are specific project initiatives that channel Xinjiang’s resources to other parts of China. An intelligent computing scale of 24,000P was built, achieving a historic breakthrough from “none to existence” in Xinjiang’s intelligent computing. Looking to the future, it is necessary to further make solid efforts in new economic fields, plan measures related to cultivating new quality productive forces, deeply implement the “artificial intelligence +” action, accelerate the cultivation and development of low-altitude economy, green computing power, hydrogen energy industry, biomedicine, quantum technology, commercial aerospace and other emerging industries and future industries, and cultivate innovative enterprises in a gradient manner. [4]4 The “artificial intelligence +” action is a Chinese national strategy to integrate AI deeply with various industries and the broader economy.

第一，推动创新发展，因地制宜发展新质生产力。创新是第一动力。推动新疆高质量发展，首要的就是解放思想，形成适应新形势新条件新目标新要求的创新意识和创新思维，以进一步全面深化改革破除体制机制障碍。科技创新是发展新质生产力的核心要素，要在因地制宜发展新质生产力上有所突破，进一步推动科技创新和产业创新深度融合，实施好创新驱动发展战略，持续优化科技创新体制机制，加大对技术创新的支持力度，充分激发和释放新疆科技人才活力，塑造发展新动能新优势。例如，新疆矿产资源丰富，通过各类矿产资源开发带动经济增长是推动发展的一个重要途径。但同时需注意避免对自然资源开发的过度依赖，在“疆煤外运”“疆电外送”的同时，积极培育战略性新兴产业，加快发展数字经济，培育新的增长点。2024年，全疆首个智算中心在克拉玛依建成投用，“疆算入渝”纳入国家数据基础设施建设试点，建成智能算力规模24000P，新疆智算实现“从无到有”的历史性突破。面向未来，需进一步在新经济领域切实发力，谋划好培育新质生产力的相关举措，深入实施“人工智能+”行动，加快培育和发展低空经济、绿色算力、氢能产业、生物制造、量子科技、商业航天等新兴产业和未来产业，梯度培育创新型企业。

Second, promote coordinated development and facilitate regional coordination and urban-rural integration. The requirements of coordinated development manifest at multiple levels and in multiple aspects. At the national level, it is necessary to plan Xinjiang’s high-quality development from the overall perspective of modernization construction, and actively align with major regional strategies such as the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta, ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin, as well as the construction of the New Western Land-Sea Corridor. At the same time, carry out paired assistance to Xinjiang with higher quality, further promote scientific, technological, educational, medical, and industrial assistance to Xinjiang, and further deepen and expand “group-style” assistance to Xinjiang. [5]5 Paired assistance to Xinjiang (対口援疆) is a policy in which developed provinces and cities provide financial, technical, and personnel support to Xinjiang. “Group-style” assistance (组团式援疆) involves sending teams of professionals in fields such as education and medicine. Proceeding from Xinjiang’s own conditions, it is necessary to focus on promoting urban-rural integrated development and advancing people-centered new-type urbanization. It is necessary to adhere to the integrated planning of urban construction in the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps and local areas, build the Urumqi metropolitan area, the Kashgar city circle, the cities on the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains, the northern Xinjiang urban belt, and the urban belt around the Tarim Basin; strengthen the construction of key border towns, central towns for revitalizing borders and enriching people, and new border villages to consolidate the borders, enrich the people, and strengthen the borders; and also focus on improving the level of rural development, deeply tap the characteristic resources of villages, implement brand strategies, cultivate new rural industries and new business forms, continuously expand county-level industries that enrich the people, promote the integrated development of primary, secondary, and tertiary industries in rural areas, and continuously consolidate and expand the achievements of poverty alleviation. [6]6 The Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC, 兵团) is a special state-owned economic and paramilitary organization in Xinjiang, responsible for land reclamation, development, and border security. “Local areas” (地方) refers to the regular administrative regions of Xinjiang. [7]7 “Achievements of poverty alleviation” refers to the results of China’s targeted poverty alleviation campaign (2013–2020), which lifted nearly 100 million people out of absolute poverty.

第二，推动协调发展，促进区域协调和城乡融合。协调发展的要求表现在多层次多方面。站在全国层面看，需从现代化建设全局出发谋划新疆高质量发展，积极与京津冀协同发展、长江经济带发展、粤港澳大湾区建设、长三角一体化发展、黄河流域生态保护和高质量发展等区域重大战略以及西部陆海新通道建设相衔接。同时，更高质量开展对口援疆工作，深入推进科技、教育、医疗、产业援疆，进一步深化拓展“组团式”援疆。从新疆自身出发，需着力促进城乡融合发展，推进以人为本的新型城镇化建设。既要坚持兵地城镇建设一体规划，打造乌鲁木齐都市圈、喀什城市圈、天山北坡城市群、北疆城市带、环塔里木盆地城镇带，又要加强沿边重点城镇、兴边富民中心城镇和边境新村建设，实现固边富边强边，还要聚焦提升乡村发展水平，深入挖掘乡村特色资源，实施品牌战略，培育乡村新产业新业态，不断壮大县域富民产业，促进农村一二三产业融合发展，持续巩固拓展脱贫攻坚成果。

Third, promote green development and deepen the construction of a beautiful Xinjiang. Green development is the underlying color of high-quality development. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized, “We must adhere to the concept that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets, resolutely hold the red line for ecological protection, and coordinate desert control, water management, and forest and grassland protection, so that the beautiful Xinjiang will have bluer skies, greener mountains, and cleaner waters.” [8]8 “Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets” (绿水青山就是金山银山) is a famous concept of Xi Jinping, emphasizing that ecological protection is a form of wealth. In recent years, Xinjiang has continuously strengthened ecological environmental protection and construction, and the pace of green and low-carbon development has accelerated. In 2024, the first batch of national carbon peak pilot construction was initiated in Karamay City and Kuqa Economic and Technological Development Zone, the Kuitun-Dushanzi Economic Development Zone was selected as a national-level “waste-free park,” and the scale of green electricity and green certificate trading both increased significantly. [9]9 Carbon peak pilot construction and “waste-free parks” are part of China’s policy framework to achieve carbon peaking by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060, as well as to reduce solid waste. Looking to the future, it is necessary to accelerate the transformation of energy conservation and carbon reduction and the renewal of energy-using equipment, promote clean, low-carbon, safe, and efficient utilization of energy, advance the construction of “waste-free cities” and a batch of zero-carbon industrial parks with high standards, strengthen the recycling of urban and industrial wastewater, and expand the scale of medium- and long-term green trading in electricity. At the same time, continue to promote the protection and restoration of ecosystems, and systematically promote the integrated protection and governance of mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands, and deserts, so that Xinjiang’s skies will be bluer, mountains greener, and waters cleaner.

第三，推动绿色发展，纵深推进美丽新疆建设。绿色发展是高质量发展的底色。习近平总书记强调，“要坚持绿水青山就是金山银山的理念，坚决守住生态保护红线，统筹开展治沙治水和森林草原保护工作，让大美新疆天更蓝、山更绿、水更清”。近年来，新疆持续加强生态环境保护和建设，绿色低碳发展步伐加快。2024年，克拉玛依市、库车经济技术开发区国家首批碳达峰试点建设启动，奎屯—独山子经济开发区入选国家级“无废园区”，绿电、绿证交易规模均大幅增长。面向未来，需加快节能降碳改造和用能设备更新，推动能源清洁低碳安全高效利用，高标准推进“无废城市”和一批零碳园区建设，加强城市和工业污水循环利用，扩大电力中长期绿色交易规模。同时，持续推进生态系统保护和修复，系统推进山水林田湖草沙一体化保护与治理，让新疆的天更蓝、山更绿、水更清。

Fourth, promote open development and actively advance high-level opening up. Xinjiang’s geographical advantages are obvious, and the achievements in expanding high-level opening up are remarkable. In 2024, the construction of the core area of the Silk Road Economic Belt was accelerated. [10]10 The core area of the Silk Road Economic Belt (丝绸之路经济带核心区) designates Xinjiang as the central hub of the land-based corridor of the Belt and Road Initiative. The number of China-Europe (Asia) freight trains transiting through Xinjiang increased by 14% to 16,400 trains throughout the year. [11]11 China-Europe (Asia) freight trains are regular container train services linking Chinese cities with European and Central Asian destinations. The construction of the pilot free trade zone was efficiently advanced, with 129 reform tasks fully rolled out and 35 provincial-level institutional innovation achievements and typical cases formed. [12]12 The Xinjiang Pilot Free Trade Zone, established in 2023, is a high-level opening-up experimental zone focusing on institutional innovation. To further promote Xinjiang’s high-quality development, it is necessary to leverage Xinjiang’s unique geographical advantages and transform them into practical effectiveness, actively serve and integrate into the new pattern of development, and do a good job in opening up based on actual conditions. It can rely on China’s super-large market advantage, use the domestic circulation to attract global resource factors, and enhance the linkage effect of both domestic and international markets and two types of resources. Accelerate the implementation of the reform tasks of the overall plan for the Xinjiang Pilot Free Trade Zone, and intensively launch a batch of institutional innovation achievements with large influence, wide coverage, and high system integration. Expand practical cooperation with neighboring countries and regions, continuously strengthen in-depth cooperation in fields such as economy and trade, energy, science and technology, agriculture, and tourism, vigorously develop service trade, green trade, digital trade, and intermediate goods trade, so that Xinjiang’s door of opening up will open wider and wider and its partners will become more and more numerous.

第四，推动开放发展，积极推进高水平对外开放。新疆的区位优势明显，扩大高水平开放的成效显著。2024年，丝绸之路经济带核心区加快建设，全年过境中欧（亚）班列增长14%，达到1.64万列；自贸试验区建设高效推进，129项改革任务全面铺开，形成省级制度创新成果和典型案例35个。进一步推动新疆高质量发展，要发挥新疆独特的区位优势，并将其转化为实际效能，积极服务和融入新发展格局，从实际出发抓好对外开放工作。可依托我国超大规模市场优势，以国内大循环吸引全球资源要素，增强国内国际两个市场两种资源联动效应；加快新疆自贸试验区总体方案改革任务落实，集中推出一批影响力大、覆盖面广、系统集成度高的制度创新成果；扩大与周边国家地区务实合作，持续加强经贸、能源、科技、农业、旅游等领域的深度合作，大力发展服务贸易、绿色贸易、数字贸易、中间品贸易，使新疆开放的大门越开越大、合作伙伴越来越多。

Fifth, promote shared development and let the fruits of development benefit the people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang more and more fairly. To build a great modern socialist country in all respects, no ethnic group can be left behind; to advance Chinese-path modernization, no border area can be left behind. Improving people’s livelihood and rallying popular support are the core essence of Xinjiang’s high-quality development. It is necessary to focus on solving the urgent problems of the people, continuously enhance the sense of gain, happiness, and security of the people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang. [13]13 “Urgent problems of the people” (群众急难愁盼问题) is a standard CPC formulation referring to the most pressing and heartfelt concerns of the masses. It is necessary to adopt multiple measures to stabilize and expand employment, implement the employment priority strategy, implement employment support plans for key areas, key industries, urban and rural grassroots, and small and medium-sized enterprises, continuously focus on the employment of key groups such as college graduates, rural labor, and people with employment difficulties, promote high-quality and full employment; weave a dense and secure social security net, continuously improve the hierarchical and categorized social assistance system, effectively hold, accurately hold, and securely hold the bottom line of people’s livelihood; and promote comprehensive rural revitalization, consolidate and expand the achievements of poverty alleviation, effectively prevent large-scale return to poverty. In short, it is necessary to adhere to promoting Xinjiang’s high-quality development in close connection with people’s livelihood.

第五，推动共享发展，让发展成果更多更公平惠及新疆各族人民。全面建成社会主义现代化强国，一个民族也不能少；推进中国式现代化，边疆地区一个都不能少。改善民生和凝聚人心是新疆高质量发展的核心要义。要聚焦解决群众急难愁盼问题，不断提高新疆各族人民群众的获得感、幸福感、安全感。既要多措并举稳定和扩大就业，实施就业优先战略，落实重点领域、重点行业、城乡基层和中小微企业就业支持计划，持续抓好高校毕业生、农村劳动力、就业困难人员等重点群体就业，促进高质量充分就业，又要织密扎牢社会保障网，持续完善分层分类社会救助体系，切实兜住兜准兜牢民生底线，还要推进乡村全面振兴，巩固拓展脱贫攻坚成果，有效防止规模性返贫致贫。总之，就是要坚持紧贴民生推动新疆高质量发展。

Promoting Xinjiang’s high-quality development is a systematic project. It is necessary to fully, accurately, and comprehensively implement the Party’s strategy for governing Xinjiang in the New Era, and guide and promote high-quality development with the new development philosophy. [14]14 The Party’s strategy for governing Xinjiang in the New Era (新时代党的治疆方略) is the comprehensive set of policies and guidelines formulated by the CPC Central Committee under Xi Jinping, emphasizing stability, development, ethnic unity, religious harmony, and anti-terrorism. At the same time, better coordinate development and security, opening up and security, further comprehensively deepen reform, expand high-level opening up, create high-quality life, innovate high-efficiency governance, ensure high-level security, and push forward the practice of Chinese-path modernization in Xinjiang to take new solid steps.

推动新疆高质量发展是一个系统工程，要完整准确全面贯彻新时代党的治疆方略，以新发展理念引领推动高质量发展。同时，更好统筹发展和安全、开放和安全，进一步全面深化改革，扩大高水平开放、创造高品质生活、创新高效能治理、保障高水平安全，推动中国式现代化新疆实践迈出新的坚实步伐。

(The author is a member of the Academic Division of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and a first-grade researcher at the Institute of Chinese Borderland Studies.)

（作者系中国社会科学院学部委员、中国边疆研究所一级研究员）

Online editor: Hui Hui

网络编辑：慧慧