Xinjiang GDP grows 4.2% in first three quarters, below national 4.6%

The key signal is the acceleration: Xinjiang's growth picked up from the first half even as it stayed below the national pace, suggesting the drag on the region's economy is easing rather than deepening. For a region tied to cross-border trade and resource sectors, that trajectory matters more than the gap to the national figure. The open question is whether the second-half momentum carries into the full-year reading, and whether the region can close the distance to national growth.