Minning town in Ningxia has transformed into a hub for inclusive growth, with annual per capita income surging from less than 500 yuan in its early days to over 20,000 yuan in 2025. The development stems from the long-standing paired assistance initiative between Fujian Province and the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

The town, named after the partnership between "Min" (Fujian) and "Ning" (Ningxia), began construction in 1997 on barren land near Yinchuan. Initially settled by only 13 households moving from drought-stricken areas, the community has expanded significantly through irrigation, technical support, and investment.

Economic Transformation

The economic landscape of Minning has shifted dramatically over three decades. What started as a village of just over 8,000 residents is now a town with more than 60,000 inhabitants. This demographic expansion coincided with substantial industrial development.

Key industries driving this growth include wine grapes, mushrooms, goji berries, and livestock farming. A vineyard developed by Fujian entrepreneur Chen Deqi employed more than 3,000 local farmers over 14 years. These workers, many previously living in poverty, now earn monthly incomes exceeding 3,000 yuan ($447).

What the Numbers Show

The data reveals a strong correlation between population density and industrial scale. As the resident base grew sevenfold from 8,000 to 60,000, the total industrial output value crossed the 1-billion-yuan threshold. This suggests that the economic model relied on scaling local employment within specific agricultural sectors rather than just increasing individual yields.

Global Development Context

The Minning experience was highlighted at a symposium on Fujian-Ningxia cooperation held in Yinchuan on September 15. Li Shulei, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, attended the event. Participants emphasized summarizing this cooperative experience to strengthen regional coordination.

China links this local success to its broader Global Development Initiative, proposed at the United Nations General Assembly in September 2021. The initiative aims for balanced and inclusive global growth. Elements of the Minning model, such as Juncao technology for mushroom cultivation, have been exported to over 100 countries and regions.

In Fiji, Chinese agricultural experts train students in mushroom cultivation and Juncao grass farming. Fanny Fiteli, founder of Mama's Mushroom, noted that these skills enable rural women to earn income and gain stronger positions within their families. The Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund has supported more than 180 projects in over 60 countries, benefiting more than 30 million people.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged sustained efforts to expand and strengthen advanced manufacturing to support Chinese modernization. The directive was conveyed at a national conference in Beijing on Sept. 17 and 18, 2026, emphasizing smart, green, and integrated development.

Strategic Priorities

Xi stressed the need for high-quality development and greater security, aiming to make industrial chains more self-supporting and risk-resilient. Premier Li Qiang delivered a speech at the conference, noting that developing advanced manufacturing is a major strategic task.

Experts highlighted three key directions for upgrading:

• Smart development provides the technological foundation through AI, big data, and robotics.
• Green development shapes long-term competitiveness via lower-carbon production.
• Integrated development helps traditional industries accelerate transformation by embedding new technologies into existing systems.

Chen Jing, vice president of the Technology and Strategy Research Institute, stated that competition will shift from production capacity and prices to innovation capability, industrial security, and low-carbon capabilities.

Industrial Output Data

Advanced manufacturing is playing a larger role in underpinning industrial growth. In the first eight months of the year, value-added industrial output of major enterprises increased 5.3% year-on-year. In contrast, high-tech manufacturing output rose 14.2% during the same period.

In August alone, equipment manufacturing output rose 12.1% year-on-year, while high-tech manufacturing expanded 16.7%. New growth drivers, led by high-tech and digital product manufacturing, contributed more than 60% of the growth in industrial output that month. Industrial robot output jumped 34.6% year-on-year.

What the Numbers Show

The divergence between the 5.3% growth in major enterprise output and the 14.2% rise in high-tech manufacturing indicates a structural shift toward higher-value production segments within China's industrial base.

Sector Developments

Robotics applications are expanding beyond assembly lines. AGIBOT deployed its Genie G2 humanoid robot on a tablet production line in Nanchang, reporting a 99% success rate for precision tasks. DEEP Robotics is integrating AI with motion control for energy and emergency response scenarios.

Shenzhen's "Robot Valley" covers about 28 square kilometers and hosts more than 200 robotics companies, including over 25 humanoid robot manufacturers. The localization rate of key components exceeds 90%.

Other recent advances include:

• CR450 high-speed train completing whole-vehicle testing.
• Zhuque-3 Y2 reusable carrier rocket achieving land recovery of its first stage.
• Adora Flora City, China's second domestically built large cruise ship, scheduled for delivery in November.

Green Manufacturing Targets

During the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30), China plans to cultivate 500 zero-carbon factories. By 2030, output from green factories at all levels is targeted to account for 45% of the total output of major manufacturing enterprises. Traditional industries including steel, nonferrous metals, and petrochemicals are expected to adopt cleaner raw materials and fuels.