Palestinian Ambassador to China Fariz Mehdawi (R) and Saudi Arabian Ambassador to China Turki M. A. Almadi (L) sit down for an interview. (Screenshot from Phoenix TV)

The ambassadors of Saudi Arabia and Palestine recently talked about the real situation in Xinjiang that they witnessed with their own eyes when they visited less than half a year ago, acknowledging the efforts made by the local government for its people, and voiced the hope of bringing their bilateral relations with China to a higher level.

In an interview with Phoenix TV, Palestinian Ambassador to China, Fariz Mehdawi, said he saw the Muslims in Xinjiang are happy to learn the Holy Koran. “It is quite important for us. I myself asked some of the students whether they are reading the Koran or not. I was very surprised that their voices were very beautiful,” said Mehdawi.

Echoing Mehdawi, Saudi Arabian Ambassador to China, Turki M. A. Almadi, appreciated the role that the Xinjiang government was playing in the Muslims’ education. “I want to take this opportunity to thank the government for providing the students with high-level education. That is important,” said Almadi.

Palestinian ambassador Mehdawi also mentioned that many mosques can be seen on the streets in Xinjiang. “You count ‘the mosques’ in the same street,” the ambassador said, adding that they are all functioning and not closed.

“We know what’s going on there. We saw beautiful cities, nice people, nice infrastructure, very developed. The government there is doing an excellent job, great job,” said Almadi.

The Saudi diplomat once again expounded the position of Arab countries on the Xinjiang issue and expressed the hope of further pushing forward bilateral relations.

“One, we believe all of us (are) in the principle of no interference. Second, [the Xinjiang issue] is an internal matter. This is important. Third, our mandate in China is to focus on bilateral relations and develop, promote and enhance this relationship,” said Almadi.