KUNMING, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- The GDP of southwest China's Yunnan Province extended 8.9 percent year on year in 2018.

Yunnan's GDP reached about 1.79 trillion yuan (265 billion U.S. dollars) last year, according to the ongoing annual session of the provincial people's congress.

Yunnan authorities rolled out a series of measures to cultivate new momentum driving local economic development, including developing eight major industries such as biological medicine and tourism.

Yunnan also decreased production of crude steel and coal, and lowered costs for local companies.