Xi'an charts bold path for high-quality growth in 2025

At a news conference on Feb 25, Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi province, reviewed its achievements in 2024 and outlined its plans for 2025.

In 2024, the city's GDP reached 1.33 trillion yuan ($182.51 billion), a 4.6 percent increase over the previous year.

Xi'an improved in its global ranking, rising one place to 18th in the world and 7th in China, according to the 2024 Global Innovation Index by the World Intellectual Property Organization. This reflects the city's strengthening innovation ecosystem.

Xi'an now boasts over 15,000 high-tech enterprises and nearly 19,000 technology-based small and medium-sized enterprises. In 2024, the city's technology contract turnover exceeded 450 billion yuan.

Xi'an's industrial sector has also grown. The city's 2,115 industrial enterprises above a designated size – those with an annual output value of 20 million yuan or more – reported an output value of 969.28 billion yuan, growing by 6.5 percent and ranking sixth among 15 sub-provincial cities.

This year, the city has outlined several key focus areas to drive high-quality economic and social development this year. It will prioritize major infrastructure projects, including transportation, energy, and high-tech innovation platforms. The total investment of these key projects is set to reach approximately 1.2 trillion yuan, with an annual investment of 240 billion yuan.

It plans to accelerate its shift into a modern metropolis by developing a more efficient transportation network and promoting green building standards. The city will also push the construction of new substation facilities. Substantial efforts will address housing and infrastructure needs, including creating 3,500 public and private charging stations.

Xi'an's international connectivity will also be strengthened, with an emphasis on boosting the China-Europe freight train and expanding the city's air transport network. This will include launching five to eight new international passenger routes and more than four new international cargo routes.

The city will foster rural-urban integration and promote regional coordination, including developing integrated urban-rural areas in districts such as Gaoling and Yanliang. The goal is to boost local economic development and improve public services, especially energy and food security.

Xi'an will also prioritize environmental sustainability, reducing carbon emissions, enhancing waste recycling, and developing clean energy sources.

These initiatives are expected to improve Xi'an's infrastructure and stimulate economic growth, create new jobs, and foster a better quality of life for its residents, thereby contributing to the city's overall modernization goals.