Afghanistan willing to model after China's Xinjiang development and dismiss bias, forum hears

Afghanistan is willing to replicate the development of China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and improve people's living standards, a forum heard, while speakers dismiss Western disinformation on the region.

Afghan Deputy Minister of Economy Abdul Latif Nazari said China has neutralized biased or false Western propaganda against Xinjiang by uplifting education and culture and speeding up economic development of its largest autonomous region.

He was speaking at a webinar titled "International Forum on Xinjiang Modernization Drive from a Global Perspective" on June 21. It was organized by Asian Institute of Ecocivilization Research and Development (AIERD), Schiller Institute and Belt and Road Institute in Sweden (BRIX) and moderated by Shakeel Ahmad Ramay from AIERD.

China has developed various sectors in Xinjiang, including agriculture and industries, Nazari said, urging Chinese businesses to invest in Afghanistan in mining, infrastructure, manufacturing and education.

Helga Zepp-LaRouche, chairperson of Germany-based Schiller Institute, said Western media has spread false propaganda about human rights violations in Xinjiang.

She said delegations from Schiller Institute visited the region and found no evidence in this regard. China has lifted the region's population from extreme poverty and had equipped them with the skills to pursue a career, and the country focuses on human development along with economic upliftment in Xinjiang, she added.

BRIX Vice Chairman Hussein Askery said the massive development in Xinjiang serves as an example for other nations. China has cracked down on terrorist idealogues through vocational and educational programs, he noted.

Businessman Bilal Janjua said Xinjiang is on the crossroads of multiple regions – it serves as an energy gateway with oil and gas pipelines running through it. These pipelines come from Central Asia into Xinjiang and onward to the rest of China, he said, referring to the region as a logistics hub.

He said China has focused on skills development and many people from Xinjiang had become economic contributors. The region is also a tourist hub, and boasts 2,000 tourist sites, according to him.

BRIX Institute Chairman Stephen Brawer emphasized that a new global order is emerging as a result of Global South cooperation, and very soon Europe would be joining this order.

At the forum, Pakistan's Minister of State and Convener of the Parliamentary Task Force on Sustainable Development Goals, Romina Khurshid Alam, urged Asian countries to stand together and form a consortium.

Alam said it is high time that Asian nations strengthen each other. Parliamentarians should work on strengthening bilateral ties with various countries, she said, adding that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is not only for Pakistan and China but for all the neighboring countries.

"It can become a logistics hub for all of Asia," the minister said.

Alam said modernization of the development initiative could help to improve the living standards of people and eradicate poverty. She also stressed policy advocacy, saying that peace was the only viable economic solution.

Shakeel Ahmad Ramay in Islamabad contributed to this report.