A regulation that China's top cotton-producing Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region introduced last month was the country's first local regulation specifically aimed at promoting the high-quality development of the cotton industry, a local official said.

The regulation, which took effect on July 1, bears great significance for improving the quality of Xinjiang cotton, boosting incomes for people of all local ethnic groups, and safeguarding the security and stability of cotton textile industrial chains, Mailiyan Simayi, deputy secretary general and spokeswoman of the standing committee of Xinjiang's regional people's congress, said Tuesday at a media briefing.

The regulation consists of 37 articles in six chapters, covering quality improvement across the entire industrial chain, from planting, harvesting and purchasing to processing, sales and reserve storage.

Xinjiang produced 6.165 million tonnes of cotton in 2025, accounting for 92.8 percent of the national total, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

Xinjiang's cotton sector is already among the world's most mechanized, with an overall mechanization rate for cultivation and harvesting surpassing 97 percent.