Xinjiang's GDP grows 10.7% in H1

URUMQI -- China's far west Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region recorded 10.7 percent economic growth in the first half, 2.9 percentage points higher than the national growth rate, local authorities said Monday.

Xinjiang realized a GDP of 260.1 billion yuan ($41.2 billion) from January to June, 10.7 percent higher than the previous year, announced Wang Yue, spokesman of the regional statistics bureau at a news conference.

Xinjiang jumped from 21st last year to 18th this year among 31 provinces, regions and municipalities on the half-year natioanl economic growth list, Wang said.

The industrial value-added output during the first half reached 125 billion yuan, up 11.2 percent from last year. The non-oil sector recorded a growth rate of 18.2 percent, Wang said.

With the support from the central government, the fixed assets investment volume in the first half year reached 191.58 billion yuan, up 33.7 percent than the previous year.

The Consumer Price Index jumped 4.2 percent over last year, he said.

The cash income of farmers in Xinjiang in the first half of this year was 2,867 yuan, 20 percent higher than last year.

"The growth rate of farmers' cash income in Xinjiang in the first half is ranked first in the country. A rare event in recent years," Wang said.

Xinjiang covers an area of 1.66 million square kilometers, making it China's largest provincial-level administrative region.

Since 2010, China has been pushing for greater opening-up of the resource-rich and strategically-located Xinjiang, aiming to transform it into a regional economic hub from a relatively underdeveloped desert region.