Editor's note: Si Qin, a special commentator for CGTN, is an associate professor at Northwest University of Political Science and Law and a special researcher at the Institute of China's Borderland Studies, Zhejiang Normal University. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily those of CGTN.

On the morning of September 25, a grand celebration marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region was held in Urumqi, with General Secretary Xi Jinping of the Communist Party of China Central Committee attending the event.

Over the past 70 years, Xinjiang has always leveraged its resource endowment to serve the national agenda, making positive contributions to safeguarding national energy, critical minerals and food security. With the in-depth advancement of the Silk Road Economic Belt core area construction, Xinjiang is stepping onto the world stage with greater confidence.

Economic takeoff: from remote frontier to open gateway

At the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Xinjiang's total highway length was just over 3,000 kilometers, and road conditions were poor. By the end of 2024, the total highway length across the region had reached 230,000 kilometers, with all eligible administrative villages connected by paved roads and passenger transport.

The regional GDP rose from 749.9 billion Chinese yuan in 2012 (around $105 billion) to 2,053.4 billion yuan ($287.9 billion) in 2024, with an average annual growth rate of 7 percent. The total import and export volume increased from 158.96 billion yuan ($22.3 billion) in 2012 to 434.16 billion yuan ($60.9 billion) in 2024. Improving people's livelihood – a heartwarming answer sheet of the times In recent years, Xinjiang has allocated more than 70 percent of its annual general public budget expenditure to ensuring and improving people's livelihood. By the end of 2024, a total of 2.73 million rural housing units had been built, helping more than 11 million people of all ethnic groups move into spacious, bright and safe homes. The improvement in housing conditions is just a snapshot of the continuous enhancement of people's well-being in Xinjiang. As of 2024, Xinjiang had more than 19,000 medical and health institutions at all levels, with the standardization rate of township health centers and village clinics reaching 100 percent. Average life expectancy has increased from 30 years in 1949 to 77 years in 2024. In 2024, the retention rate of nine-year compulsory education in Xinjiang reached over 99 percent, higher than the national average. In the southern Xinjiang regions of Aksu, Kashi, Hetian and the Kizilsu Kirgiz Autonomous Prefecture, 15 years of free education from kindergarten to high school has been implemented.

Cultural inheritance – a diverse and unified spiritual home

Xinjiang has always adhered to the principle of giving equal importance to protection and inheritance, allowing ancient culture to shine with new vitality in the new era. At present, Xinjiang has built 150 museums (memorial halls) of various levels and types, 118 cultural centers, 111 public libraries and 1,126 comprehensive cultural facilities in towns and streets.

The integration of culture and tourism has also injected new momentum into cultural heritage. In recent years, Xinjiang has repeatedly set new records for the number of domestic and international tourists received, reaching 302 million in 2024.

In addition, various regions cultivate brands of mass cultural activities, forming cultural teams to go to the grassroots and carry out various performances, vividly showcasing the Chinese civilization with unity in diversity and deeply rooting a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation at the grassroots level.

Ethnic unity – a powerful force for development

"Ethnic unity as one family" is not only an ongoing activity in Xinjiang but also a consensus among people of all ethnic groups. Since 2017, millions of cadres and employees across Xinjiang have paired up with grassroots residents to become "relatives," listening to their voices, solving difficulties and planting the seeds of ethnic unity deep in their hearts.

The cause of ethnic unity and progress in Xinjiang has also been fully reflected in the "paired assistance to Xinjiang" initiative. Since 2023, 19 provinces and cities providing aid to Xinjiang have focused on the goal of "building a beautiful Xinjiang and fulfilling the dream of the motherland together," leveraging Xinjiang's resource endowment, geographical advantages and industrial foundation to precisely promote the implementation and rooting of a number of modern industrial projects.

Ecology first – painting the background of green development

Over the past 70 years, Xinjiang has achieved remarkable results in ecological protection and restoration. Along the vast sea of sand, Xinjiang has built thousands of kilometers of green barriers to safeguard the living environment of people of all ethnic groups.

In 2025, Xinjiang will make atmospheric environment improvement in the urban cluster on the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains the top priority among 10 major livelihood projects, striving to keep the annual proportion of good air quality days stable at over 81 percent.

In recent years, Xinjiang has also made significant progress in adjusting its energy structure. In 2025, Xinjiang's total installed power capacity reached 1.8 million kilowatts, with installed capacity of new energy surpassing 100 million kilowatts, marking Xinjiang's increasingly important role in serving the national "dual carbon" goals.

Seventy years of fruitful achievements have seen economic and social development and ethnic unity blossom together across the north and south of the Tianshan Mountains. From the "blue galaxy" formed by rows of photovoltaic panels on the Gobi Desert to the roaring China-Europe freight trains speeding past the desert's edge, from the vibrant colors in farmers' paintings depicting happy lives to the curling smoke rising from new homes of herders deep in the grasslands, Xinjiang is writing a new chapter of high-quality development and ethnic unity in the new era with its ever-changing progress.

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