Xinjiang residents tell stories of regional development, prosperity

Special: Xinjiang

A video conference showcasing development and prosperity in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region was jointly held Tuesday by the regional government, the Chinese Embassy in Italy, and the foreign affairs committees of the Italian Senate and House of Representatives.

At the conference, several grassroots representatives from Xinjiang shared their experiences with Italian officials, scholars, journalists and other participants via video link, refuting the fallacies of anti-China forces regarding the region.

Nurzahat Habibul, an associate professor of Xinjiang Normal University, recalled her journey from being raised as a farmer's daughter to a career as a college teacher.

Thanks to student grants from schools, she graduated from Hunan University in central China before obtaining her master and doctoral degrees. She later presided over and participated in a number of national and regional research projects on environmental protection.

"My achievements are inseparable from the learning opportunities, scientific research platforms and policy support provided by the government over the years," said Nurzahat Habibul.

Abudullarahman Mattursun, a local resident of Hotan County, used to scrape a living from farming and odd jobs as a casual worker.

Later, on the advice of the village officials, he applied for a local open university which offers distance education through radio and television programs. After graduation, he worked in a car sales company and was soon promoted to sales manager with a monthly salary of 7,000 yuan (about 1,095 U.S. dollars).

"Last year, I used my savings of 100,000 yuan to redecorate my house, buy household appliances and a car. In May, I got married and my wife and I plan to open a small supermarket. We are full of hope for our future," Abudullarahman Mattursun said.

Vito Petrocelli, head of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Senate in Italy, and Piero Fassino, head of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives, both recognized the achievements of the region and China in recent years. They expressed the wish that understanding and cooperation would be further strengthened via such exchanges.