Xinjiang, a good place in China
By Zhou Pingjian
People's Daily app
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XINJIANG XH.jpg

Aerial photo taken on June 23, 2019 shows the view of a plateau in Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo: Xinhua)

Xinjiang is one of the five ethnic autonomous regions in China, covering an area almost one sixth of the entire country with a population of 25 million.

On July 21, China’s State Council Information Office (SCIO) published a white paper on historical matters concerning the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in Northwest China. From historic, religious, ethnic, and cultural perspectives, the white paper clearly explained that Xinjiang has long been an inseparable part of Chinese territory along with its ethnic groups and cultures. Similar to Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa with over 250 ethnic groups, China is also a united multi-ethnic nation founded by the people of all its ethnic groups as and different religious beliefs.

Politicians and media in western countries have continuously attacked China’s policy in Xinjiang, falsely claiming that a large number of “concentration camps” that are in violation of human rights have been established. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Three months ago, I went to Xinjiang for my fourth visit and travelled through the region. I had many face-to-face conversations with teachers, trainees, and their families at training centers. I also visited classrooms, dormitories, canteens, and sports fields.

Everywhere I went, I was impressed by the brightness, cleanliness, happiness, and the cheerful voices of the trainees. The level of the national common language and legal awareness of the trainees has been enhanced greatly. They have practiced sewing, hairdressing, and e-commerce, and have become very skilled, and they enjoy it. They are more confident about their future and their families are also gratified.

Many foreign friends who have visited the training centers said that what they saw were diligent students and a happy campus, and the so-called accusation of “concentration camps” fell apart.

In June, diplomats and representatives based in Geneva from 14 countries and a separate organization visited Xinjiang and interacted with local residents, farmers, teachers, and students at different places across the region. Among them, Nigerian Ambassador Audu Ayinla Kadiri said what he saw was entirely different from the negative media reports supposedly about the vocational education and training centers.

On July 12, Ambassadors of 37 countries including Nigeria and many members from Organization of Islamic Cooperation sent a joint letter to the President of the UN Human Rights Council and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to show their support for China on its “remarkable achievements in the field of human rights”. We highly appreciate the support from our Nigerian friends.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. The past seven decades have witnessed a great transformation in China and historic progress never seen before in the country’s human rights development. China has grown into the second largest economy in the world, with its GDP surpassing 13.6 trillion US dollars in 2018. It now boasts the world’s largest middle- income population and has contributed to over 30 percent of global growth for several consecutive years.  

Over the past 40 years, China has lifted over 740 million people out of poverty and met the basic needs of nearly 1.4 billion people. And by 2020, we will achieve comprehensive poverty eradication with no one left behind. It is fair to say that China has made a great achievements in the history of development and poverty alleviation worldwide. This is the largest human rights project, the best human rights story, and also the most important contribution China has made to human rights in the world.

As for what is really happening in Xinjiang, I would like to share four aspects of true stories experienced by Nigerian friends:

Firstly, Xinjiang is enjoying prominent economic development. Over the past 70 years, and especially since 1978, Xinjiang has witnessed sustained and steady high-quality economic development, with its GDP for 2018 exceeding nearly 200 billion US dollars. People’s living standard has greatly improved, with urban and rural residents’ per capita disposable income reaching respectively over 4,800 and 1,700 US dollars.

Public-interest projects regarding employment, education, medical services and social security have been moved forward. From 2014 to 2018, a total of 2.3 million people in Xinjiang were lifted out of poverty, with the poverty headcount ratio dropping from 19.4 percent to 6.1 percent. From 2019 to 2020, 817,100 people will shake off poverty.

By 2020, all rural residents living below the current poverty line will be lifted out of poverty, absolute poverty will be eradicated as Xinjiang keeps pace with the rest of China in building a moderately prosperous society.

Secondly, Xinjiang is still facing severe challenges of anti-terrorism. Despite the progress Xinjiang has made in various undertakings, Xinjiang is also confronted with challenges. Since the 1990s, the “three forces” of terrorism, separatism and extremism inside and outside China have orchestrated and executed thousands of violent terrorist attacks in Xinjiang.

The Exhibition on Major Incidents of Violent Terrorist Attacks in Xinjiang, which I viewed with great shock in late April this year, presents a large number of pictures and video footage about the appallingly cruel acts against humanity committed by violent terrorists. At the same time, the spread of religious extremist thoughts stoked terrorist rampage.

The government of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has taken a series of measures according to law to crack down on violent terrorist crimes on the one hand and actively explored preventive anti-terrorism and deradicalization measures on the other, including setting up vocational education and training centers. These efforts have proven effective, winning sincere public support.

Thirdly, Xinjiang’s training centers are not “camps” but “campuses.” There is no difference between a training center and a boarding school. The vocational education and training programs are  preventive counter-terrorism in nature and a precautionary step to prevent a disease or treat it in its early stages, as we do in traditional Chinese medicine. It aims to educate and rehabilitate to the greatest extent possible the individuals who have been influenced by extremist ideologies and committed minor offenses, so that they will not be victimized by and fall prey to terrorism and extremism.

Courses on the national common language, legal knowledge, and vocational skills help the trainees deradicalize themselves. The trainees can go home regularly, ask for a leave when needed, make phone or video calls to their family, and their family can come to the training centers to visit them. Upon completion of the courses, the trainees will be recommended for employment or self-employment by the school and the government.

The training centers provide free accommodations and safeguard all basic rights of the trainees in accordance with the law to meet their needs in study, life and entertainment. I must point out that the vocational education and training program is a special measure adopted by Xinjiang at a special time.

We will continue to improve the work of the training centers. As the counter-terrorism situation improves, the training program will be gradually downsized, leading to its completion.

Fourthly, Xinjiang is a place with freedom and safety. Xinjiang has taken a host of measures to protect citizens’ freedom of religious belief and safeguard their cultural rights and the right of all ethnic groups to use their own ethnic languages.

There are 24,800 mosques, churches, Buddhist temples, Taoist temples and other religious venues, 29,300 clerical staff, and 10 religious schools such as the Xinjiang Islamic Institute. There is a mosque for  every 530 Muslims in Xinjiang. Fine traditional cultures of the ethnic minorities are protected and developed.

The Uygur Muqam art and Kirgiz epic Manas are listed as Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. Ethnic minority languages are widely used in judicature, administration, education, press and publication, radio and television, the internet and social public affairs. The rights of women, children, the elderly, and disabled are respected and protected by law.

The stability dividend has continued to benefit Xinjiang. No case of violent terrorism has occurred for over 30 months in a row. A total of 150 million tourists visited Xinjiang last year, and this year the figure is expected to reach 200 million. Is it fair to label a place that receives nearly 200 million visitors a year as unsafe and not free?

When it comes to human rights, no one can claim perfection. So, making progress is all important. We will continue to advance human rights development in China in an all-round way to meet people’s needs and aspiration for a better life, and join hands with other countries to promote and protect human rights around the world, with a view to advancing the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

Only a shoe’s wearer knows if it fits. The best-qualified to speak on Xinjiang are the Xinjiang people of all ethnic groups. We sincerely welcome Nigerian friends to make field visits to Xinjiang, and see for yourselves a beautiful, true and hospitable Xinjiang, a good place in northwestern China.

(Dr. Zhou Pingjian is China’s Ambassador to Nigeria)