First batch of characteristic towns expected to break ground in April
The government work report proposed that this year the whole region will accelerate urbanization and new rural construction, strive to cultivate a number of small and medium-sized cities, border port cities and characteristic small towns, and focus on promoting the construction of characteristic townships in southern Xinjiang.
On January 10, Zhang Hong, a deputy to the autonomous region people's congress and Party secretary and deputy director of the autonomous region's Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, revealed that research on this work has now been completed, and the first batch of 33 characteristic small towns for pilot construction is expected to break ground in April.
Not long ago, the autonomous region's development and reform work conference revealed that this year Xinjiang will launch the construction of characteristic small towns in the four prefectures of southern Xinjiang, which is both an important engine for promoting the development of southern Xinjiang and a strategic measure for coordinating urban and rural development.
Zhang Hong told reporters that the first batch of 33 characteristic small towns for pilot construction are mainly concentrated in Hotan Prefecture, Aksu Prefecture, Kashgar Prefecture and Kizilsu Kirghiz Autonomous Prefecture. The construction of characteristic small towns must integrate new rural construction, agricultural industrialization, characteristic tourism and other content.
It is understood that on October 14 last year, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development announced the first batch of 127 Chinese characteristic towns, including 4 in Xinjiang: Selibuya Town in Bachu County, Kashgar Prefecture, Xinjiang; Wulanwusu Town in Shawan County, Tacheng Prefecture; Koktokay Town in Fuyun County, Altay Prefecture; and Beiquan Town in Shihezi City, the Eighth Division of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. These 4 places were rated as Chinese characteristic towns. For the first batch of selected Chinese characteristic towns, the central government finance will give appropriate rewards to characteristic towns that carry out their work well.