HUANGPU SHANGHAI

Villagers learn to make handcrafts at Kurti Village, Sarhulsun Township, Altay prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, Jan 30, 2021. [Photo/Xinhua]

The Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region has made unprecedented achievements in economic and social development and has achieved a decisive victory in poverty alleviation, a senior official said on Wednesday.

Erkin Tuniyaz, vice-chairman of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, said that under the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, with vigorous support from provinces, regions and cities and the arduous efforts of the 25 million people of all ethnic groups in the region, Xinjiang's economic development and its people's living standards have continued to improve, while ethnic unity is further consolidated with various religions coexisting in harmony and stability.

From 2015 to 2020, Xinjiang's regional gross domestic product grew from 930.69 billion yuan to 1.38 trillion yuan ($144.05 billion to $213.6 billion), an annual increase of 6.1 percent.

In 2020, urban residents' per capita disposable income reached 34,838 yuan, increasing by 5.8 percent annually over the past five years, while its rural residents' per capita disposable income was 14,056 yuan, up 8.5 percent annually over the past five years.

A decisive victory has been achieved in poverty alleviation. By 2020, a total of 3.06 million people living under the poverty line were lifted out of poverty. A total of 3,666 villages and 35 impoverished counties shook off poverty in the region, Tuniyaz said in the keynote speech at a videoconference with the theme of "Xinjiang is a Wonderful Land".

"The people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang fully enjoy the right of life and development, and their traditional cultures, languages and folk customs are well protected and inherited," he said.

More than 80 people attended the event via video link, including representatives of 50 countries and senior human rights officials and experts of United Nations agencies. It was jointly hosted by the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and the Permanent Mission of China to the UN Office at Geneva.

Tuniyaz also pledged that the government will spare no effort to develop Xinjiang into a region that is united, harmonious, prosperous and culturally advanced, with healthy ecosystems and people living and working in contentment, and a region featuring socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era.

Chen Xu, Chinese ambassador to the UN in Geneva, called Xinjiang a wonderful area and a shining pearl of Northwest China, known for its magnificent landscapes and hospitality.

Chen said Xinjiang enjoys stability and people there live and work in peace and happiness. Together with the rest of the country, people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang are proudly embarking on a new journey to build China into a modern socialist country.