URUMQI, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region lifted 317,400 people out of poverty last year, declared regional authorities at the ongoing local parliamentary session Friday.

The region has created new job opportunities for 470,000 people, and hired 2.75 million residents from rural areas. More than 368,000 houses in shanty towns have been renovated, and 300,000 households in rural areas have been provided with new homes, according to the government work report.

The region unveiled a poverty-relief plan earlier this month.

As part of China's national objective of eliminating absolute poverty by 2020 to create a "moderately prosperous society," Xinjiang's regional government is determined to help 22 impoverished counties, and all local residents under the poverty line shake off poverty.