Foreign trade in China's ethnic regions topped US$60.75 billion in 2008, up almost 37 percent from the previous year, according to figures released by the State Ethnic Affairs Commission (SEAC) on Wednesday.

"The growth rate is above the national average," said Le Changhong, director of the Economic Development Department of the SEAC.

Along China's 22,000-km borderline, there are 135 county-level administrative regions neighboring other countries. Among them 107 are categorized as ethnic regions.

After three decades of reform and opening up, China has approved 13 cities as borderline opening-up cities that enjoy preferential policies to boost cross-border trade.

The cities include Manzhouli in northern China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Yining in northwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Ruili in southwestern Yunnan Province.

"The policies prove to be effective and have substantially promoted the residents' livelihood in the ethnic regions," Le said.

According to statistics from the SEAC, the per capita disposable income for urban residents rose to 13,166 yuan (US$1,928) last year from 414 yuan in 1980 and the per capita disposable income for rural residents rose from 168 yuan in 1980 to 3,391 yuan last year.

(Xinhua News Agency August 20, 2009)