Future assistance projects to help develop the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region must focus on poverty alleviation and help local people find jobs nearby, the nation's top political adviser said during a recently concluded three-day conference in the region.

The central government implemented a new round of a "pairing assistance" program for Xinjiang in 2011, which requires 19 provinces and municipalities as well as ministries to support the development of different parts of the region.

The priority for assistance providers is to ensure that the areas within their responsibility achieve their poverty alleviation goals on time.