Xinjiang folk share experiences with foreign media at Beijing sharing session

Beijing, China: An event titled “Xinjiang Through the Eyes of Locals” - a sharing session – took place here on Thursday to bring together people from all walks of life and foreign reporters to share experiences of life in northwest China.
China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is renowned for its diverse culture and multi-ethnic groups. The Chinese government’s tremendous efforts in caring for different ethnic groups and people with different religious beliefs and at different stages of development is continuously progressing in terms of economic and systematic infrastructure development through rail and air transport and bridge links in the region.

Residents of Xinjiang, Chinese officials in charge of the region’s economic and education development, and invited guests attend the sharing session on Thursday.

The sharing session was attended by local historians, foreign expats, and influencers from beyond the Chinese mainland who have experienced this unstoppable development.
Several interesting topics were raised for discussion, including the region’s colourful culture, exchanges with the outside world, international communication, and development.
One of the key panellists at the session was a Uygur woman from Hotan prefecture in Xinjiang, Ms Nurnisahan Yasen.
She talked about how she had received customised training and been trained up from a novice into a skilled garment worker and from an ordinary employee into a director of Xinjiang Jinghe Textile Technology Co., Ltd.
China’s renowned writer and former Culture Minister, Mr Wang Meng, emphasised the role of literature in depicting Xinjiang’s profound cultural influences and local people’s everyday life to readers by integrating the region’s stories with its cultural heritage and natural scenery.
He said his regular visits to the region had revealed numerous changes in terms of socio-economic development, continuous infrastructure improvement, and the preservation of local culture.
“Many of my books have been translated into foreign languages to share with the outside world the precise experiences of my recent journeys and making friends with locals in the region,” he said.
The renowned historian Ji Lianhai also shared his impressions of Xinjiang’s long history, colourful culture, and harmonious ethnic relations from over 10 visits, saying he continued to witness the region’s significant progress in various aspects of development.
Xinjiang has long played an important role as a gateway for trade between China and Central Asian countries, especially under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
The owner and co-founder of the French’s House of Urumqi, Mr Charles Tom Bezancon, said the most interesting thing about life in Xinjiang is that he can meet people from all across the country. He has also talked to people from different ethnic groups which enabled him to gain new cultural knowledge.
Through the conclusion of the session, many heart-warming stories about Xinjiang were shared, offering diverse facts-based perspectives on the region and encouraging people to embark on a journey of discovery to Xinjiang.
Organisers of the event said they hoped it would give foreign journalists to a clear and comprehensive picture of the region and motivate them to explore the reality and have a lifetime experience through a trip to the region sometime in the future.
Bounfaeng Phaymanivong, a journalist with Lao Press in Foreign Languages (Vientiane Times), is taking part in a four-month China Asia Pacific Press Centre 2023 Programme as one of more than 80 media personnel from almost 70 countries. The programme has been set up by the China Public Diplomacy Association under the supervision of the China International Press Communication Centre (CIPCC).

By Bounfaeng Phaymanivong
 (Latest Update November 21, 2023)