Stability and new opportunities raising living standards

Factories

In south Xinjiang's Hotan prefecture, at least 100,000 people found jobs last year, according to Erkin. About 500 companies from other provinces opened branches there to develop industries based on local resources.

As the social environment in south Xinjiang, where terrorists conducted attacks that killed and injured thousands of people, becomes increasingly safe and stable, more companies are opening facilities in prefectures such as Hotan, he said.

"This year, another 100,000 people in Hotan are expected to land jobs," he added.

In 2017, Beiwei Technology Group, a fungi-processing business headquartered in Northeast China's Heilongjiang province, opened a factory in Lop county, Hotan prefecture.

Producing grow bags containing fungi spores and wood shavings that provide nutrition and support the growth of the spores, the company decided to set up a branch in Xinjiang because of the low costs resulting from the vast land and rich supplies of raw materials in the region, said Liu Minduo, Beiwei's vice-president.

For example, planting black fungus requires large areas of land, and Hotan has a wealth of land covered by saline-alkali soil. It cannot be used to grow crops and is usually left fallow, but black fungus can thrive in grow bags, rather than being planted directly in the ground, he said.

"In addition, the production of grow bags requires large amounts of wood shavings. Jujube and walnut, which have greater nutritional value than other types of wood, are ideal sources and can be found almost everywhere in Xinjiang," Liu added, noting that the company has contributed to the reduction of poverty in nearby communities since its arrival.

The company buys wood from local farmers for 300 yuan per metric ton, and has provided at least 120 jobs for local residents. It employs poor farmers to nurture fungi by giving them free grow bags, and it provides them with dividends after the harvest.

"So far, about 6,450 poor farmers in Lop county are engaged in fungi cultivation, with each receiving a dividend of 2,000 yuan a year," Liu said, adding that Beiwei is now expanding its operations to produce instant fungi (cooked fungi that can be eaten straight from the container).

"Our goal in coming here three years was to produce 100 million bags of instant fungi every year," Liu said. "If that happens, our business will be able to benefit more local people by offering them more job opportunities."