XINJIANG- A number of journalists from some Asian, European, and African countries paid a one-week visit to Xinjiang province, in the northwest of China.

The trip was arranged by the China International Press Communication Center (CIPCC), and sponsored by China Global Television Network (CGTN) in a program named “China Up Close” initiated by the CGTN.

During their travel, the journalists visited different places in three major cities of the province; Urumqi, the capital of province, Kashgar, the Pearl of the Silk Road, and Aksu, where they gained first-hand knowledge about the region’s development and cultural protection, and astonished by the beautiful nature and rich culture of the province.

The journalists said they were impressed by robust economic growth and well-protected culture.

Xinjiang is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China (PRC), located in the northwest of the country at the crossroads of Central Asia and East Asia.

Being the largest province-level division of China by area and the 8th-largest country subdivision in the world, Xinjiang spans over 1.6 million square kilometers.

Xinjiang borders Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and India.

As reported by Xinhua, Xinjiang has seen remarkable growth across key economic indicators since last year, with its growth rates of GDP, investment, consumption, import and export, fiscal revenue and resident income levels all ranking among the top five nationwide, according to Erkin Tuniyaz, chairman of the regional government.

He has noted that “2023 marked the best year in terms of the quality and efficiency of economic and social development in Xinjiang in recent years.”

Xinjiang has committed to expanding high-level domestic and international opening up, building itself into an important corridor linking Asia and Europe and a gateway for China’s opening up in the west, said Erkin Tuniyaz.

Over the past two years, Xinjiang's total import and export volumes have surged by 57 percent and 45.9 percent, respectively.

As previously mentioned, visiting Xinjiang was organized by China International Press Communication Center (CIPCC).

CIPCC, under the China Public Diplomacy Association (CPDA), has initiated a program to build a platform for the media from countries around the world, especially developing countries, to observe China and study development in this country.

In each edition of the program, journalists from all around the world gather together to get familiar with the modern China and exchange their experiences in the field of journalism.

In 2024 edition of the program, started on February 26 and supposed to end on July 1, over 100 journalists from more than 90 countries are participating.

Photo: A woman collects flowers to make tea in a village in Kashgar City, Xinjiang Province (By Mahnaz Abdi)