The 2023 Idea and Story Sharing Conference: Promoting High-Quality Development of Human Rights Cause in Xinjiang in Chinese Modernization Drive was held on Dec. 20 in Urumqi, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, attracting more than 200 participants.
During the conference, Jiang Jianguo, executive vice president of the China Society for Human Rights Studies, underscored that with the aim of ensuring that the benefits of modernization are distributed more equitably, Chinese modernization adheres to a people-centered concept, promoting sustainable development and contributing to building a community with a shared future for mankind.
Erkin Tuniyaz, chairman of the Xinjiang regional government, said that the region's tourism has seen a remarkable increase from 48.6 million visitors in 2012 to a record-breaking 260 million visitors this year.
He added that Xinjiang's GDP has more than doubled over the past decade, surging from 840 billion yuan in 2013 to 1.77 trillion yuan in 2022, with the regional government consistently allocating over 70% of its fiscal expenditures to safeguarding and improving the livelihoods of its residents.
The conference also featured a launch ceremony for a blue book titled "Report on Xinjiang's Human Rights and Legal Protections," which includes 13 reports that provide an objective, scholarly assessment of the current state of human rights development in Xinjiang. The reports propose policy recommendations to enhance human rights protection in various domains and offer an outlook into the future of human rights development in the region.
During the conference and sub-forums, representatives from various fields in Xinjiang shared stories and experiences to showcase the region's progress in human rights development. Additionally, more than 70 experts took part in discussions on topics centered around human rights protection.