Journalists from 16 countries impressed by prosperity of Xinjiang

Journalists take a group picture after visiting Xinjiang Yinduolan Pharmaceutical Industry Medicine. The company has 11 classic ethnomedicine varieties and is undertaking 119 research projects, showing Xinjiang's unique research achievements and charm to foreign journalists. (Photo: Chen Qingrui/GT)

"It's been an amazing trip. I'm amazed by the cultural richness and the diversity," Torbjorn Sassersson, the chief editor of the News Voice in Sweden, told the Global Times. Xinjiang is different from what the Western media reported, so maybe they need to come here, Sassersson added.

Sassersson is one of 17 journalists from 16 countries who participated in a tour in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region from June 15 to 23. They were impressed by Xinjiang's high level of economic development, diverse culture, and harmonious social atmosphere after visiting Xinjiang's Yining city, Kuqa county, Xayar county, and Urumqi.

Xinjiang effectively integrates digitalization with automotive manufacturing in the production chain, and GAC Motor in Xinjiang is a vivid example of this.

Journalists visit GAC Motor in Xinjiang, showing great interest in the production efficiency and the automated chain. (Photo: Chen Qingrui/GT)

Revaz Didberashvili from Rustavi 2, a Georgia-based media group, told the Global Times that the cleanliness of the car assembly plant was astonishing, and they were impressed by the harmonious atmosphere among the workers during their operations. He said that Chinese auto companies will soon become major competitors in the global market.

Xinjiang is close to 13 major trading countries, and the convenient logistics offer lower costs for suppliers, Luo Haitian, general manager of GAC Motor's Xinjiang branch, told Global Times.

Luo said the company's vehicles have already been exported to Central Asia, and the company also plans to continue expanding into overseas markets to better leverage the advantages of Xinjiang.

Sayed Ahmed Redha, a columnist from Alayam Bahrain, a newspaper in Bahrain, told the Global Times that Chinese vehicles are gaining popularity in Bahrain, as they can meet local demand. He said that Chinese vehicles, which are equipped with modern technologies, are highly competitive compared to brands from other countries.

Xinjiang's foreign trade from January to April 2024 totaled 137.9 billion yuan ($18.99 billion), up 49.5 percent year-on-year, data from the Urumqi Customs showed.

On June 16, the foreign journalists visited Khorgos Port, one of Xinjiang's comprehensive ports.

Zheng Weiguo, general manager of the China-Europe Railway Express Business Department with the Xinjiang International Land Port, a transport company in the Urumqi International Land Port, and also the operator of the China-Europe Railway Express at the Urumqi assembly center in Urumqi, told the Global Times that around 100 containers are shipped abroad from the port daily, and operations are at full capacity.

Zheng said the Urumqi International Land Port is a core part of the Urumqi Free Trade Zone, which reflects Xinjiang's robust foreign trade. Zheng said that they plan to increase the frequency of China-Europe Railway Express services to boost transportation capacity and opening-up.

Mustafina Almira, the chief editor of Angrenskaya Pravda, a newspaper published in Russian and Uzbek, told the Global Times that the ports in Xinjiang greatly facilitate free trade.

Almira told the Global Times that the ports will undoubtedly promote trading and enhance cooperation between countries, making the collaboration even stronger.

During the visit, the Global Times found that most manufacturing enterprises in Xinjiang are equipped with comprehensive clean energy power generation facilities, including the automotive, textile, and pharmaceutical industries.

Clean energy initiatives are not only being harnessed within industrial enterprises but are also active in the uninhabited desert regions of Xinjiang.

During a visit to the 250,000-kilowatt photovoltaic industrial park in Xayar county on June 19, a low-carbon transition project developed by Power China, a leading company in water conservancy and hydropower construction, journalists were impressed by the project.

Journalists visit the 250,000-kilowatt photovoltaic industrial park in Xayar county. The operator of the project explains how Xinjiang's photovoltaic projects integrate environmental management and agricultural cultivation. (Photo: Chen Qingrui/GT)

Almira praised the integrated project, which combines environmental management, ecological farming, and photovoltaic power generation. She expressed a strong desire for Uzbekistan to collaborate with China in these areas, as Uzbekistan enjoys over 300 sunny days annually.

Almira said that Uzbekistan has great potential and a solid foundation for cooperation with China for photovoltaic development. She said that this kind of project not only provides green energy but also creates jobs, while addressing ecological issues such as desertification. "China sets a commendable example," Almira added.