By Xinhua writers Wen Xin, Wu Mengtong and Zhao Hanze

BEIJING, March 21 (Xinhua) -- Dozens of foreign diplomats from 40 countries and representatives of international organizations attended an exchange meeting held in Beijing on Friday, to share views on the robust economic and social progress, continued improvements in human rights protection, and expanding opening-up in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

XINJIANG'S REMARKABLE DEVELOPMENT DRAWS HIGH ACCLAIM

Mario Alzugaray Rodriguez, minister counselor of the Cuban embassy in China, visited Xinjiang 20 years ago. "Xinjiang's development achievements since then are truly amazing, and I've learned that Xinjiang now has more than 20 airports, with a crisscross and well-connected network of railways and expressways stretching in all directions," Rodriguez added.

The Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Institute is the only intergovernmental organization headquartered in Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang. Charymuhammet Shallyyev, director of this institute, has witnessed the region's rapid development. He said that Xinjiang's development is particularly impressive in areas including artificial intelligence, scientific and technological innovation, and green development.

A set of key economic figures released at the meeting won repeated recognition from the attendees. These figures reveal that in 2025, Xinjiang's gross domestic product (GDP) had reached 2.15 trillion yuan (about 312.05 billion U.S. dollars), up 5.5 percent year on year, while its oil and gas equivalent output ranked first nationwide for a fifth consecutive year. The per capita disposable income of its urban and rural residents grew by 5.3 percent and 7 percent, respectively, last year.

"I never expected Xinjiang to have such a strong development momentum," said Diane Sidikiba, economic counselor and charge d'affaires ad interim of the Guinean Embassy in China.

Pakistani Ambassador to China Khalil-ur-Rahman Hashmi, who has visited Xinjiang on multiple occasions, has a keen perception of its profound changes. He said local residents in Xinjiang are witnessing steady income growth, expanded employment opportunities and abundant economic opportunities.

XINJIANG EMBRACES THE WORLD VIA GREATER OPENNESS

"We sincerely invite all our friends to visit Xinjiang more often, to experience in person the vibrant Xinjiang with booming development, hear first-hand stories of a happy Xinjiang from people of all ethnic groups, and witness the magnificent and beautiful Xinjiang with stunning landscapes," said a warm invitation issued by regional authorities.

Xinjiang is undoubtedly a treasure land boasting breathtaking scenery and profound cultural heritage, said Martin Mpana, Cameroon's ambassador to China. He explained that Xinjiang is not only a fertile land of history, but also a promising land full of hope, with a flourishing culture, a booming economy, and people of all ethnic groups sharing the fruits of development. Mpana added African countries are very willing to learn from Xinjiang's development experience.

Selcuk Unal, ambassador of Türkiye to China, said that multiple Turkish ministers had visited Xinjiang over the past few years, while a number of Turkish media and think tanks have also been invited to the region. "I would like to thank local authorities for their hospitality. These interactions demonstrated the potential for developing relations with the region," he said.

"I got to know many local residents during my visit and toured around with them," Sohail Khan, deputy secretary general of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), said in sharing his experience in Xinjiang, adding that "Xinjiang is welcoming people from all over the world with an increasingly open attitude."

COOPERATION ACROSS SECTORS SET TO SCALE NEW HEIGHTS

"Xinjiang plays a unique role in SCO cooperation. As China's western gateway, Xinjiang is a natural bridge connecting eight countries, six of which are SCO member states," Khan said, highlighting this region's unique geographical advantages.

Shakhrat Nuryshev, ambassador of Kazakhstan to China, fully affirmed the achievements of economic and trade cooperation between Kazakhstan and Xinjiang. "In 2025, the trade value between Kazakhstan and Xinjiang reached 23.5 billion U.S. dollars, accounting for about half of the total trade value between Kazakhstan and China," he said.

"Xinjiang has accumulated rich experience in developing desert agriculture and renewable energy, which provides valuable reference for us," Mpana said, expressing full confidence in the prospects of future cooperation.

"We look forward to further expanding cooperation with Xinjiang and lifting cooperation in various fields to a new level," said Charviakou Aliaksandr, Belarusian ambassador to China.