Efforts to boost 'leapfrog development' in Xinjiang

BEIJING - Authorities in different fields, as well as local governments around China, have been engaged in implementing the central authorities' strategic plans for the far western Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region to achieve what authorities have described as leapfrog development and lasting stability.

A working staff walks at the Xinjiang Islamic Scripture College in Urumqi, capital of Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, June 26, 2010. High school graduated students aged 18 to 25 across Xinjiang will be enrolled in the college, giving lectures in both Ugyur language and Arabic. About 70 percent of the classes given are religious ones. Every students in the government-funded college will get a monthly dining subsidy of 120 yuan. Graduates of the college will receive a religious bachelor's degree and serve in mosques and Islamic associations across the region. [Xinhua]

The following are some key facts about China's efforts over the past month since the central work conference on Xinjiang's development concluded on May 19:

-- In late May, the Ministry of Culture decided to launch several projects to strengthen the cultural heritage protection and cultural market supervision and boost the culture industry in Xinjiang.

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-- Also in late May, the Ministry of Transport issued a statement jointly with Xinjiang's regional government pledging to spend more money-- which will cover 50 percent of the construction costs-- for road building in Xinjiang.

-- On June 1 the regulation on reform of resource taxes in Xinjiang, which was jointly issued by the Ministry of Finance and the State Administration of Taxation, took effect, marking Xinjiang as the first region in China to begin such reform.

The regulation provides a shift to taxing crude oil and natural gas by price, rather than volume. The reform aims to raise local revenue for the resource-rich Xinjiang.

-- From June 9 to June 12, officials of central governmental departments, including the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Commerce and the National Development and Reform Commission, as well as officials of the China Development Bank, visited Xinjiang to inspect the development of local industries.

-- On June 10, the Ministry of Railways said in a statement issued with Xinjiang's regional government that they were prepared to spend over 310 billion yuan ($45.6 billion) by 2020 to expand the railway services in Xinjiang by 8,000 kilometers to cover 90 percent of the counties in the region.

-- On June 19, China's Civil Aviation Administration urged domestic airlines to prepare for more air transport of passengers and commodities to Xinjiang to facilitate development in the region.

The Administration also plans to build six more airports in Xinjiang during the implementing of the country's 12th five-year (2011-2015) plan, to bring the total to 22 in the region.

-- Military hospitals have begun to carry out the plan to assist Xinjiang with medical expertise and training of medical staff.

-- Local governments in China's 19 provinces and municipalities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong, Zhejiang and Liaoning, are engaged in the commitment of "pairing assistance" support projects in Xinjiang to promote the development of agriculture, industry, technology, education and health services in the region.

-- Local government in Xinjiang is also taking efforts upon itself for its development, such as better animal husbandry management and technology advancement to boost an effective and environmental-friendly coal mining industry and measures to promote local tourism.