Northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region will build itself as the transport, financial and logistics center of the Silk Road Economic Belt in 2014, local authorities said on Thursday.

Nur Bekri, the region's chairman, said Xinjiang will keep opening up to Central Asia and Europe, and boost the Silk Road Economic Belt, during his speech at the annual session of the local legislature which started on Thursday.

A "Silk Road Economic Belt" agreement was signed by 24 cities from eight countries along the Silk Road in November.

Xinhua