Xinjiang Today: Xinjiang's new (five-)year resolutions

BEIJING, Jan. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A report from Xinjiang Today.

Xinjiang's forthcoming 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) is designed to bridge the national drive toward modernization with regional aspirations for reform, development and security. The guidance issued at the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee in October 2025 will be adopted into a region-specific agenda. 

In China, five-year plans are comprehensive blueprints for social and economic development, defining the goals, strategies and priorities for each quinquennial period. The CPC Central Committee issues a set of recommendations for the national plan based on research and consultation to guide its formulation as well as implementation. Subsequently, lower-level CPC committees adopt recommendations for the plans of the regions under their leadership. The plans are then finalized at the people's congresses—the legislative bodies—at corresponding levels.

According to the recommendations released by the CPC Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regional Committee in November 2025, Xinjiang's economic strategy will blend comparative advantages with structural changes. Xinjiang aims to build a national strategic base for energy resources while accelerating the development of a modern industrial system rooted in its specialties such as oil and gas, coal, grain, cotton, fruits and vegetables and oriented toward smarter technologies and cleaner processes. In particular, the application of AI is expected to cultivate industries of the future, raising efficiency and productivity.

The region's role as a strategic fulcrum in China's new development dynamic will be strengthened by serving both domestic and international markets. As part of its efforts to build a Eurasian "golden corridor," Xinjiang will expand opening up through the China (Xinjiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ). Pilot FTZs are designated areas where special economic policies and regulations are tested to promote trade and investment facilitation. The Xinjiang FTZ was inaugurated on November 1, 2023 as the 22nd in China and the first in the country's northwestern border regions.

Development and security are co-anchored. The recommendations call for strengthening the national security system and capacity, and mobilizing the role of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC) more effectively. This is paired with commitments to high-quality development, deeper reform, cultural flourishing, ecological transformation and tangible improvements in people's livelihoods.

The XPCC was founded in 1954, following the demobilization of some of the military units stationed in Xinjiang. Its mission is to cultivate and guard the border areas. This involves engaging in economic activities, such as developing agriculture and industry, while also helping maintain border security.

Reform is the fundamental driver. Xinjiang will target institutional bottlenecks that constrain growth, promising an optimized business environment. It has also pledged to improve people's wellbeing: better education, broader healthcare service coverage and narrowed disparities. Currently, south Xinjiang's development lags behind the north largely because of harsh natural conditions and poor infrastructure.

Turning blueprints into deliverables hinges on good governance. When the recommendations, national and regional ones alike, were drafted, a wide range of people were consulted. For instance, in early November 2025, the CPC Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regional Committee hosted a meeting with regional leaders of non-CPC political parties as well as prominent individuals without party affiliation to hear their comments and suggestions. An online survey was also conducted from August to September 2025 to collect public opinion. Consultations are still ongoing to work out the details of the five-year plan, which will be submitted to the regional people's congress for deliberation and approval in late January.

By considering the aspirations of all layers of society and building consensus, the plan becomes both visionary and workable. Once it takes effect, regular evaluations will guide implementation and necessary adjustments. This is one example of how the CPC exercises its leadership—proposing policies based on extensive research and implementing them through public engagement. Hopes are high that the 15th Five-Year Plan will boost growth and living standards, and demonstrate how Xinjiang can play a greater role in advancing Chinese modernization.

SOURCE Xinjiang Today