The Complex Impact of Urbanization in Xinjiang

In 2012, the government of Xinjiang announced a 20-year plan to completely revamp and urbanize the region with expanded cities, new cities, a fresh grid of transport infrastructure. The goal was to raise the urbanization rate to 68 percent. Once-obscure places like Yining, Karamay, and Aksu are being turned into booming centers of culture and commerce and Beijing is currently constructing 20 special industrial zones in the region to bolster manufacturing, cross-border trade, and create more jobs. A high-speed rail line connecting Urumqi to Lanzhou is already in operation and the Lianhuo Expressway bisects Xinjiang neatly through the middle, tying some of its major cities and the border with Kazakhstan to the east coast. Read more