URUMQI -- Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region plans to relocate over 26,000 people from poor regions this year, at a cost of more than 1.5 billion yuan ($230 million).

Xinjiang regional development and reform commission plans to move 7,692 families scattered across 463 villages as part of a promise to help 200,000 people find new homes by 2020.

During the past five years, 1.74 million people in Xinjiang were lifted out of poverty and the poor population has been more than halved to 15 percent.

Xinjiang aims to help its remaining 2.61 million poor residents out of poverty by the end of 2020.