Resources catapult Ningxia to prosperity

Liang Yanshun, Party secretary of the region, said the area's GDP exceeded 200 billion yuan in 2011, 300 billion yuan in 2016 and 400 billion yuan last year, with its per capita GDP nearly doubling.

"The past decade has also witnessed the nation's fastest development in terms of both quality and quantity in Ningxia, as well as the biggest changes in the region's urban and rural areas," Liang said.

Clean energy has also greatly expanded since the region became China's first comprehensive demonstration area of new energy in 2012.

Zhang Yupu, chairman of Ningxia, said the installed capacity of wind power and other new energy sources has reached 28.4 million kilowatts, ranking third in China.

This is in line with China's greening plans. The nation is aiming to reach its carbon dioxide emissions peak before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060.