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The heads of 21 media organisations from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan arrived in Xinjiang’s capital Urumqi on Thursday for a weeklong go to organised by regional authorities, Chinese language state media reported over the weekend.
Occasions throughout the journey included a seminar in Urumqi and a go to to the northern Hui autonomous prefecture of Changji, the place they visited an influence firm with ties to Central Asia and a hi-tech agriculture park, official company China Information Service (CNS) reported.
In addition they travelled to the bustling metropolis of Turpan and the Ili Kazakh autonomous prefecture on the border with Kazakhstan, the report stated.
“Everyone knows that there’s a lot of pretend information about Xinjiang outdoors China. However we’ve got seen Xinjiang with our personal eyes in order that we are able to higher showcase its achievements,” a CNS video report broadcast on Monday confirmed the deputy editor-in-chief of the Interfax-Kazakhstan Information Company as saying.
The overall supervisor of Silk Street As we speak, a media outlet primarily based within the Kazakh metropolis of Almaty, highlighted the long run prospects of Xinjiang.
“Xinjiang has limitless growth potential as an essential window for China’s opening as much as its west,” he instructed native Communist Celebration mouthpiece Xinjiang Every day.
China reaches into Silk Street previous to construct strategic ties of the long run
China reaches into Silk Street previous to construct strategic ties of the long run
On Wednesday, the guests have been handled to a Peking opera efficiency in Urumqi forward of their departure.
China denies all rights abuse allegations and says its insurance policies in Xinjiang are right and mandatory.
Zhu Yongbiao, a professor on the Faculty of Politics and Worldwide Relations in China’s Lanzhou College, stated the go to of the media executives is perhaps a part of an official “proactive constructing” of Xinjiang’s picture.
“One occasion received’t change something, however it’s a sign,” he stated, hailing the journey as a “landmark” in China-Central Asia ties.
Zhu stated the go to was important as a result of Central Asia had lengthy provided a foundation for “Western-led” narratives towards China’s Xinjiang insurance policies.
“Kazakhstan shares an extended border with Xinjiang and interplay amongst Kazakhs [across the border] has been lively,” he stated, in a reference to Central Asian cultural affinities with Xinjiang that had contributed to their beforehand being considered supporters of “separatist forces” recognized by China.
Xinjiang officers pledge to battle efforts to ‘use area to comprise China’
Xinjiang officers pledge to battle efforts to ‘use area to comprise China’
Zhu speculated that representatives from Turkmenistan, the remaining Central Asian nation, weren’t among the many visiting group as a result of the nation had comparatively little interplay with the surface world, together with Xinjiang, and “will not be a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation” led by China and Russia.
The media delegation was amongst a number of Central Asia-related occasions hosted by Xinjiang in latest weeks, together with a go to earlier this month by Akylbek Japarov, chairman of the Cupboard in Kyrgyzstan.
Japarov’s itinerary included the Kyrgyz-Chinese language enterprise discussion board in Urumqi and a gathering with regional get together boss Ma.
Kyrgyzstan may function a window to the European Union marketplace for Chinese language traders, Japarov instructed the discussion board, the place agreements price greater than US$1 billion have been signed, official Kyrgyz media stated.
Beijing sees Central Asia as an essential a part of its formidable transnational Belt and Street Initiative, and key to sustaining stability in Xinjiang in addition to constructing its financial system.
![The leaders of China and the five Central Asian countries and some of their spouses at a welcome ceremony for the first China-Central Asia summit, in Xian in May. Photo: EPA-EFE/Kyrgyzstan President Press Service Handout](https://i0.wp.com/cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2023/08/30/e0aea281-af8d-4b9f-bb63-87fb0265bdc5_7b9c6681.jpg?ssl=1)
Japarov’s go to and the just-concluded media tour have been each a part of elevated Central Asia-oriented actions in Xinjiang and elsewhere in China this 12 months.
Late final month, Xinjiang authorities invited greater than 200 consultants, students, journalists and on-line influencers from quite a lot of Belt and Street international locations to take part in a “Hiya, Silk Street” worldwide on-line communication convention.
In Could, Chinese language President Xi Jinping hosted the primary China-Central Asia summit attended by leaders of all 5 international locations within the area.