In the heart of Urumqi, at the 2025 Legislators Forum for Friendly Exchanges, CGTN reporter Liu Mohan met with Maria Butina, member of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs of Russia, for an exclusive conversation about her exciting journey through Xinjiang.

Fresh from speaking at the “High Quality Belt and Road Cooperation” sub-forum, Butina shared vivid reflections on what she saw: Countless schools shaping the next generation, bustling markets full of economic vitality, and a region wholeheartedly embracing the future. She spoke not only as a parliamentarian, but also as a witness to Xinjiang’s modern energy and deepening cultural collaboration—a bridge between nations, and a testament to what shared development can achieve.