Foreign diplomats impressed by progress made in Xinjiang

Official data show that in 2021, Xinjiang's GDP was double that of 2012, reaching nearly 1.6 trillion yuan ($232.8 billion). Over the past decade, more than 70 percent of the region's fiscal spending has been allocated to improving residents' livelihoods.

Pick Fung Ho-Chong, Suriname's ambassador to China, shared her impressions of the remarkable developments she witnessed in Xinjiang, particularly upon her arrival in Kashgar.

"It is really a contrast from what I had heard. Seeing is believing, and I believe what I see, witnessed by the enormous development that has been going on," said the envoy, who arrived in China in February as the South American country's top diplomat.

"The people are so enterprising. They are now selling literally everything from the old days to today. People in Kashgar are doing a great job in conserving traditional items while still enjoying the modern world," she said.

The ambassador was also impressed with the vibrant and colorful clothing worn by the people of Xinjiang, a striking departure from the attire in most Chinese cities.

"The women here are so beautiful. That alone gives me an impression of just how much they are enjoying life," she said.

Michael Campbell, Nicaragua's ambassador to China, was inspired by efforts to improve local people's living conditions through modernization. He was particularly impressed by a potable water safety project in Jiashi county, located near the Taklimakan Desert, the second-largest shifting sand desert in the world.

For years, water scarcity and safety concerns have plagued the residents of Jiashi due to harsh natural conditions. However, thanks to completion of the project in 2020, some 460,000 people now have access to safe drinking water through newly constructed or renovated pipelines running for a total length of 1,827 kilometers.

"That is a fundamental victory," Campbell said, adding that his country is also focusing on providing people with sanitary potable water and improving livelihoods in areas such as housing, education and food security.

"When we had the opportunity to see the water project here, we were very impressed," he said, adding that Nicaragua can learn from China's experience in this respect.

Campbell, who arrived in China in May as the Nicaraguan ambassador, has since visited not only Xinjiang but also Shandong and Hebei provinces, as well as Yiwu city, Zhejiang province. He intends to visit all 34 provincial-level regions in the country.

"Every single province has its own individuality. I think Xinjiang is wonderful and beautiful in its own way," he said.