OIC delegates praise improvements to people’s livelihoods in China’s Xinjiang

A group of diplomats and delegates from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) began a visit to Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China.

In the city of Kashgar, they visited a residential community, a village known for planting mushrooms, and the ancient city. The group praised the progress made in the development of the city and region, CGTN reported on Sunday.

Diplomats from the OIC gained first-hand insight into the efforts of the local government during a visit to the Kunlunjiayuan residential community, in Xinjiang’s Akto County.

The government was forced to relocate the community, as the residents faced water scarcity in the mountains and relied on herding for income. But now their lives have been transformed, and at no cost to themselves.

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Syed Mohammad Fawad Sher, Permanent Representative of Pakistan to OIC said, “The visit to China is indeed a very thoughtful initiative, providing us with the opportunity to see its remarkable transformation. The visit to Xinjiang, and the cities of Kashgar and Urumqi, provided us with the opportunity to see the reality, and will help to address the misconceptions attached with the region. It will also help the OIC to dismantle the misconceptions associated with the region.”

The delegates praise the policy to relocate the residents for free, saying it has clearly improved the quality of life of residents.

Dya-Eddine Said Bamakhrama, Permanent Representative of Djibouti to the OIC and Ambassador of Djibouti to Saudi Arabia said, “Our visit this morning covers many areas of this region. We are very glad about what we saw. We saw the development of the region. And I hope this development will continue in this region and all parts of China.”

The delegates’ next stop was Noquchi-Eriq village, known for growing mushrooms. The village now has over fifty greenhouses for growing them, allowing farmers to drastically increase their income.

The delegates also visited the Kashgar Old City Protection and Management Memorial Hall, where they learned about people’s lives in the city before and after its transformation.

Infrastructure in the city used to be poor, including a struggling sewage system. But since 2010, authorities have renovated about 50,000 dilapidated homes as well as water, heating, electricity, gas, roads and other critical infrastructure across 28 districts. The delegates say they’re glad to see the area transformed.

The delegates also visited the ancient city of Kashgar and the Id Kah Mosque.

The group praised the preservation of the historic architecture, saying they’re impressed by the modern infrastructure and facilities at the mosque.