Resources catapult Ningxia to prosperity

According to officials, the generation capacity for wind and solar power in Ningxia will exceed 50 million kilowatts by 2025, accounting for more than 55 percent of the region's installed capacity.

As a main battleground for poverty alleviation, Ningxia has achieved success in improving the quality of life for its residents. The region's Xihaigu prefecture, one of the poorest areas in China that was labeled the "most unfit place for human settlement" by the United Nations in the 1970s, has eradicated extreme poverty.

In addition, Liang said all of Ningxia's nine counties, with a population of 803,000 rural residents, have been lifted out of poverty, and the region has achieved a balance between high-speed development and environmental protection.

During his visit to Ningxia in June 2020, President Xi Jinping said that efforts were needed to continue building Ningxia into a place featuring economic prosperity, ethnic unity, a pristine environment and wealthier residents.

As a region in the upper arm of the Yellow River, Ningxia has implemented strict measures on ecological and environmental protection to guarantee the water quality of downstream regions.

The region's forest coverage has increased from 11.9 percent to 16.9 percent over the past decade, and its cities have maintained good air quality more than 80 percent of the time for six consecutive years.