The State Council included Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi province, in the new comprehensive pilot demonstration areas for expanding and opening-up the service industry, on April 11.

Xi'an will explore its unique advantages to support the national strategy and construct a unified national market.

The city will improve the industrial standard system for emerging industries such as new-generation information technology, artificial intelligence, and the low-altitude economy and accelerate the application of scientific and technological innovation achievements.

It will advance high-level opening-up to promote international exchange and cooperation.

Efforts will be made to improve the foundation of industrial development and support the standardized construction of key demonstration platforms and business environment.

The city will also build an efficient and collaborative system for departments and enterprises to clarify their management services and support measures.

In 2024, the added value of Xi'an's service industry reached 912.37 billion yuan ($124.83 billion), an increase of 4.8 percent from the previous year. From January to November, the operating revenue of service industries above the designated size was 417.37 billion yuan, accounting for 71.4 percent of the provincial total.

Among them, the revenue of for-profit service, scientific research and technology, information technology, and leasing and business industries increased by 13.2 percent, 13.3 percent, 3.0 percent, and 23.9 percent, respectively, with 636 new units above the designated size added.