Photo show helps Japanese see real Xinjiang

To Yasutaka Kojima, a cultural advisor of the regional government of Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, Xinjiang has been undergoing very positive development, but most Japanese people know little about it. Some misleading information is also circulating in the media, leading to misunderstandings about Xinjiang.

Kojima was at a photo exhibition at the Chinese embassy in Tokyo on Tuesday. The exhibition is aimed at fostering a deeper understanding of the region and strengthening ties between the people of Xinjiang and Japan.

Xinjiang is home to multiple ethnic groups and various religions that coexist peacefully, said Nuerlan Abudumanjin, chairman of the committee of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. He noted that these groups live side by side, relying on one another economically and culturally enriching each other.

In 2023, Xinjiang's GDP reached 1.91 trillion yuan ($268.46 billion), with growth in GDP, investment, consumption, imports and exports, fiscal revenue, and residents' income ranking among the top five in China. In the first half of 2024, the region's GDP grew by 5.4 percent year-on-year.

Nuerlan, who led a delegation from Xinjiang on a visit to Japan, also highlighted the close and longstanding cultural and tourism exchanges between Xinjiang and Japan, noting that in recent years, these people-to-people and cultural interactions have become even more frequent and vibrant.