(ECNS) -- Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region recorded GDP of 125.36 billion yuan ($17.2 billion) in the first half of 2026, up 4.3% year on year, the local statistics bureau said Wednesday. 

Bureau Director Luo Shilong said the added value of industrial enterprises above designated size grew 9.1% year on year in H1, up 0.5 percentage points from the first quarter.

Press briefing on Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture's economic performance in the first half of 2026 is held on July 30. (Photo: China News Service / Zhang Jiawei)

Strategic emerging industries surged 33.6%, while the prefecture’s ten major industrial clusters contributed 97.8% of industrial added value, which rose 9.3% overall.

Industrial enterprises reported revenue growth of 7.7% and profit gains of 36.9%. Fixed asset investment excluding rural households climbed 16.8%, with industrial investment up 22.6% and private investment rising 36.4%.

In consumer markets, retail sales of goods reached 13.69 billion yuan, up 2.1%. Employment also improved, with 13,900 new urban jobs created and 58,400 rural laborers working outside their hometowns, fulfilling more than 60% of annual targets.

Public budget revenue grew 12.1% to 16.96 billion yuan, reflecting stable fiscal operations.

(By Helen Mo, intern Xu Wenda)