KUALA LUMPUR, March 19 — Xinjiang, an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China (PRC), is looking forward to work with Malaysia in the field of agriculture, textile, halal food production, medicine and tourism, said Chairman of the Government of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Shohrat Zakir.
He said similar religious belief shared by the Xinjiang province of China – well-known for its Muslim Uyghur population – and Malaysia has boosted mutual understanding between both sides to lay a strong foundation for cooperation.
"We have also staged cultural presentation in different places in Malaysia and we welcome Malaysian people to visit us (Xinjiang) to witness themselves the prosperity and stability we have achieved, besides advocating for greater people-to-people linkages," he said during a virtual event entitled ‘Xinjiang is a Wonderful Land’ held via Zoom, today.
He said Xinjiang would continue to tap the region's geographical advantages besides implementing new development philosophy.
Xinjiang, located in the northwest of China, spans over 1.6 million square kilometres (620,000 sq mi) and has about 25 million inhabitants.
Meanwhile, China’s Ambassador to Malaysia Ouyang Yujing invited Malaysian politicians and non-governmental organisations to witness Xinjiang for themselves and get a comprehensive understanding and in-depth truth on Xinjiang.
Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of National Unity Ti Lian Ker, who was guest speaker at the event, said Xinjiang and Malaysia shared many similarities, namely in promoting ethnic unity.
"Our ancestors have set aside their background differences which led us to achieve strong unity till today and attain national progress," he said, adding there were 56 ethnic groups in Xinjiang.
— Bernama
