Chairman of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Inspects Horse Industry Development, Emphasizing the Creation of a Distinctive Pillar Industry to Enrich the People and Revitalize Xinjiang

### New Opportunities for the Development of Xinjiang’s Horse Industry

Recently, Aierken Tunyaz, Deputy Secretary of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Party Committee, Chairman of the Regional People’s Government, and Secretary of the Party Leadership Group, visited Xinjiang Agricultural University to conduct a special investigation into the high-quality development of the region’s horse industry. He emphasized the need to advance genetic innovation, talent development, industrial efficiency, and income growth for farmers and herders in an integrated manner, strengthen practical cooperation, create branded events, and accelerate the development of the horse industry into a distinctive pillar industry that enriches the people and revitalizes Xinjiang.

### Xinjiang’s Horse Industry Has a Strong Foundation

Xinjiang is the region with the largest horse population in China, accounting for nearly one-third of the national total. By the end of 2025, the population reached 1.1817 million horses, with nearly 100,000 horses bred and improved annually and 15,000 high-quality horses exported. The industry boasts a robust foundation and distinct advantages.
Among them, the Ili horse—China’s only specialized sport horse breed—has a population of 365,000, accounting for 70% of the country’s domestic sport horses. It has been presented as a state gift to foreign countries on two occasions.

### Significant Achievements in Industrial Transformation and Upgrading

In recent years, the Party Committee and Government of the Autonomous Region have placed high priority on the development of the modern horse industry, integrating it into the overall strategy of rural revitalization. By leveraging technological innovation to drive the transformation and upgrading of the entire industrial chain, they have propelled the horse industry from traditional breeding toward integrated development encompassing breeding, equestrian events, cultural tourism, and processing, thereby establishing a modern industrial system featuring coordinated and optimized primary, secondary, and tertiary sectors.
By 2025, the proportion of the tertiary sector has significantly increased, with new business models such as cultural tourism services emerging as new growth drivers.

### Technological Innovation Leads Industrial Development

During his inspection tour, Aierken Tunyaz visited the Autonomous Region’s Key Laboratory of Horse Breeding and Exercise Physiology to gain a detailed understanding of research progress in areas such as the breeding of high-quality horse breeds, performance testing, and disease prevention and control. He emphasized the need to:
Strengthen research and development of key core technologies
Accelerate the propagation and promotion of superior breeds
Improve standardized production and competition systems
Enhance the industry’s core competitiveness
Deepen practical international cooperation to introduce advanced experience and standards
Create competition brands and cultural tourism IPs with national influence

### The Momentum of Industrial Development Continues to Grow

With the strong support of the autonomous region, the momentum of Xinjiang’s horse industry continues to grow:
The breeding system for high-quality breeds is constantly improving, with performance testing competitions and branded auctions held regularly
The market value of horses is steadily increasing
New sectors such as equestrian cultural tourism, equestrian sports, and product processing are flourishing
The industrial chain is continuously expanding, and added value is constantly rising
It has become a key engine driving employment and income growth for farmers and herders

### The Xinjiang Horse Industry Association Actively Supports Industrial Development

Now is the time to spur our horses onward, embarking on a new journey to enrich the people and revitalize Xinjiang. The Xinjiang Horse Industry Association is proactively serving as a “bridge” and “catalyst” for the industry, continuously focusing on the promotion of high-quality breeds, technical services, talent development, and the establishment of industry standards, thereby laying a solid foundation for the quality improvement and upgrading of the modern horse industry.
Under the leadership of the Autonomous Region Party Committee and Government, Xinjiang is fully committed to driving the horse industry toward improved quality, greater efficiency, and transformation and upgrading—guided by technological innovation, anchored in brand development, and focused on enriching the people and increasing their income. This effort aims to make the horse industry a shining emblem of Xinjiang’s high-quality development in the new era!


Source: Xinjiang Horse Industry Association | Published: April 18, 2026