Taming,the,Wild,West|Wild is the wind

　　Situated in the remote expanse of northwest China, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is no longer the“wild west,” having grown into a prosperous continental bridge linking China with its neighboring Eurasian countries, benefiting from favorable policies and improved social stability.
　　Xinjiang is the largest provincial-level administrative region in China, with one sixth of Chinese land territory at an area of 1.66 million square km. It is home to 47 ethnic groups and has abundant natural resources.
　　With its rich potential and growing array of advantages, Xinjiang is increasingly seen as the focus of a new round of development in China—one that is capable of pursuing a sustainable future.
　　Booming trade
　　Despite a hard fall in China’s export trade since the outbreak of the global financial crisis in 2008, Xinjiang has enjoyed a steady economic increase in recent years.
　　According to customs statistics published in early February, Xinjiang achieved a new high in foreign trade through 2011, reaching$22.82 billion and growing 33.2 percent year on year. Exports in 2011 totaled $16.8 billion with a 29.83-percent growth, while imports jumped to $5.99 billion with a rise of 44 percent. Among all 15 cities and prefectures in Xinjiang, the capital city Urumqi ranked at the top in terms of foreign trade volume in 2011, which increased 50.9 percent over the previous year to $9.03 billion.
　　Such robust growth in cross-border trade is due in large part to Xinjiang’s geographical advantage. The region borders eight countries—India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Russia and Mongolia—from south to north along its 5,600-km borderline, the longest for a provincial-level region in China. Along with the stable development of Central Asian countries and closer cooperation between China and these neighbor countries, including trading outfits such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Xinjiang has been playing an increasingly important role in leading economic growth.
　　He Yiming, head of the Commerce Department of Xinjiang, said that Xinjiang successfully carried out a market diversification strategy through 2011, which focuses on cross-border trade with neighboring countries in Central Asia.
　　According to He, the cross-border trade between Xinjiang and the five Central Asian countries and Russia reached $17.9 billion in 2011, making up 78.4 percent of Xinjiang’s entire foreign trade. Kazakhstan in particular has become the largest trading partner of Xinjiang, with bilateral trade hitting a record high of $10.6 billion last year. Encouraged by the booming trade, the number of import and export enterprises in Xinjiang is also increasing. Among them, firms with assets above $10 million increased to 245 in 2011. The foreign trade realized by the private sector reached$15.4 billion, contributing 67.5 percent of the total volume in Xinjiang. By the end of 2011, Xinjiang had achieved its eighth successive top ranking in terms of land cross-border trade in China.
　　The China-Eurasia Expo (CAE Expo) offers a prominent drive for Xinjiang’s international trade growth. The annual expo was first held in Urumqi last September. As an upgraded version of the 19-year-old Urumqi Foreign Economic Relations and Trade Fair, the CAE Expo aims to serve as a platform for further expansion of all-around, high-level and multi-field exchanges and cooperation between China, Asian and European countries.
　　According to official statistics, the total volume of import and export contracts signed during the first CAE Expo exceeded $5.5 billion. The five-day expo attracted 315,808 attendees from China and abroad and 32 foreign countries officially attended as exhibitors. Moreover, SCO member states, including Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Russia and Uzbekistan, launched special shows at the expo, introducing their cooperation projects and favorable policies.
　　
　　In addition to the booming international trade, domestic investment got a strong boost during the first CAE Expo. Enterprises from around the country signed 178 investment contracts with Xinjiang in 14 fields, such as agriculture, energy, heavy industry, tourism and food processing. The contract value reached 185 billion yuan($29 billion) altogether, growing 77.9 percent from that of the 2010 Urumqi Trade Fair.
　　With the second CAE Expo to be held in Urumqi on September 1-5, Xinjiang is ready to attract more exhibitors this year.
　　Chen Ji, Deputy Secretary General of the CAE Expo Secretariat, said that the expo is on its way to becoming a new platform for China to reach out to the entire world.
　　“The CAE Expo will expand in terms of the number of attendees and exhibition area this year. It is expected that more than 5,000 international buyers from more than 40 countries and regions will attend the expo this September, increasing 25 percent over last year, while 21,000 Chinese companies have applied to participate,” Chen said. “The exhibition area will also increase to 89,000 square meters, 10,000 square meters more than the previous one.”
　　Chen feels proud the international reputation of the CAE Expo is burgeoning.“The second CAE Expo will be highlighted by many new international attendees. For example, we have recruited new foreign business associations from Russia and the Netherlands as international sponsors of the event. Companies from Southeast Asia, North America, South Africa, Latin America and Oceania will participate in this year’s expo. Xinjiang’s market is very attractive to multinationals and international investors,” he said.
　　Chen believes the CAE Expo will further promote economic and cultural relations between China and other countries.
　　
　　More investment
　　Compared with its traditional pillar industries including agriculture and animal husbandry, manufacturing in Xinjiang remained underdeveloped in past decades. However, the situation is changing as the region devotes more effort to develop secondary and tertiary industries.
　　The 2011 work report of the Xinjiang Regional Government announced the total GDP of the region reached 660 billion yuan($104 billion) in 2011, a growth of 12 percent from 2010, with the secondary industry contributing to a greater portion of the total. According to the latest information published by the Xinjiang Statistics Bureau, primary, secondary and tertiary industries grew 1.02 percent, 53.3 percent and 45.79 percent respectively in the first half of this year. In particular, industrial added value reached 125 billion yuan ($20 billion) in the first six months, growing 11.2 percent over the same period of last year. Moreover, most industrial products saw a big rise in output, including automobiles at 47.7 percent, steel at 38.5 percent, and cement at 34.7 percent.
　　“It is expected that the growth for the latter half of this year will continue at a sound pace, as demand for energy and materials such as oil, coal and electrolytic aluminum will remain strong,” said Wang Yue, Deputy Director of the Xinjiang Statistics Bureau.
　　Strengthening secondary and service industries is a priority in Xinjiang’s development in accordance with its 12th Five-Year Plan(2011-15). According to statistics published in August by the Xinjiang Regional Development and Reform Commission, total fixed assets investment reached 115.25 billion yuan ($18 billion) in Xinjiang from January to July this year, covering 155 projects across the region. All of the projects have progressed smoothly. Investment in livelihood improvement, energy and manufacturing made up 86 percent of the total. Specifically, the investment in livelihood improvement was 31 billion yuan ($4.88 billion); in the energy sector, 43.3 billion yuan ($6.81 billion); and in manufacturing, 25.1 billion yuan ($3.95 billion).
　　Responding to the Central Government’s calls to support Xinjiang’s development, a large number of leading domestic companies have set foot in Xinjiang in recent years.
　　At a meeting in Urumqi last August, Wang Yong, Minister of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, said that state-owned enterprises have adopted a positive attitude to investment in Xinjiang. In the 12th Five-Year Plan period, Wang estimated that state-owned enterprises would invest more than 1 trillion yuan ($157 billion) to drive Xinjiang’s economic growth.
　　The promise is being fulfilled step by step. For example, the Shaanxi Automobile Group Co. Ltd. (SAG) opened its new subsidiary company in Urumqi in late 2011. Founded in 1968 in Xi’an, capital city of northwestern Shaanxi Province, SAG has grown into a large machinery and automobile maker in China. The company specializes in researching and manufacturing heavy trucks and other commercial vehicles.
　　The improving investment environment in Xinjiang encouraged SAG to sign an in- vestment contract with the Urumqi Economic and Technological Development Zone on April 13, and construction of its new factory began shortly thereafter. At the end of July, the Urumqi assembly plant was completed and put into operation.
　　Tian Zhihua, head of the assembly plant of SAG’s Xinjiang branch, said that the pace of SAG’s development in Urumqi is on track despite of some difficulties.
　　Last November, Tian, 36, was appointed his current position and came to Xinjiang for the first time.
　　“In the next three years, our Xinjiang branch will definitely have more output than our headquarters in Shaanxi, because the newly-built branch is our second largest integrated truck manufacturing base with all workshops. We expect that a new truck will be assembled every six minutes on the production line,” Tian said.
　　SAG does not overlook the importance of the Xinjiang market. In 2011, SAG sold 120,000 commercial vehicles with sales revenue of 31 billion yuan ($4.88 billion). In Xinjiang, SAG ranks first in truck sales, holding 65 percent of the market.
　　“The new branch in Urumqi marks a milestone of SAG’s development. SAG is the first truck producer in Xinjiang. We will not only meet local market needs, but also sell trucks to Central Asian and Russian markets. Last year, we exported 10,000 trucks to overseas markets,” Tian said.
　　But Xinjiang lacks skilled workers and high-caliber engineers in heavy truck production. For this reason, Tian has made up his mind to work in Xinjiang for a long time.
　　“In view of SAG’s grand plan, I will proba- bly work in Xinjiang until retirement. My family will move to Urumqi next year,” Tian said.
　　When asked why he is willing to work in the remote city more than 2,500 km from his home in Xi’an, he replied, “Xinjiang is a promising place for business to grow. There’s a bright future here, and it’s my pleasure to contribute to the prosperity of Xinjiang.”
　　Shared prosperity
　　In the past decades, governments at all levels in China have been making greater efforts to spread the benefits of economic growth to more people, and place greater priority on improving the living standard of middle- and low-income groups and keeping a balanced development.
　　The Xinjiang Regional Government is fully aware of the importance of livelihood improvement. Many places in Xinjiang are located near borders or remote mountains, which are still underdeveloped. Based on the local conditions and resources, Xinjiang has carried out a plan to enrich remote border areas and promote local people’s livelihood in the 12th Five-Year Plan period.
　　Last year, Xinjiang invested 78.3 billion yuan ($12.31 billion) in 2,886 projects covering housing, transportation, agriculture, electricity and irrigation works in border areas. A number of counties and towns are allowed to carry out pilot industrial development programs according to their conditions. For example, companies are encouraged to contract with farmers in Altay for supplying agricultural products in the long term. The companies have thereby attained a steady supply source while farmers can enjoy a steady income without fear that their products will go unsold.
　　Apart from agriculture, tourism is also a priority in Xinjiang’s development. Xinjiang is attractive to tourists not only for its colorful landscape but also unique cultural features. In recent years, local people have paid much attention to protecting ethnic traditions in the midst of the tourism boom. Especially in some ethnic habitats, such as Altay that has a major Kazak population, traditional culture and handicrafts are the main tourist attractions. Tourists can take in charming natural scenes while experiencing a nomadic life never seen in cities.
　　With more investment, transportation and other infrastructure have been developing rapidly in Xinjiang. Today, the region has become a hotspot for trade and business, allowing all sectors of the economy to develop in an integrated and sound way.