Xinjiang at 70: Stability, confidence, shared prosperity

Editor's note: Moiz Farooq is executive editor of Pakistan Economic Net and Daily Ittehad Media Group. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN. 

Seventy years after the establishment of China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, the picture that emerges is of a region that has moved with quiet confidence from the margins to the mainstream. Stability has become a platform for growth, growth has widened opportunities, and opportunities have reinforced social harmony. For readers who judge progress by outcomes rather than slogans, Xinjiang offers a case study in steady leadership, consistent delivery, and respect for daily human needs.

Geography is the first asset. Xinjiang sits where China meets Central Asia and the wider Middle East. What once felt like a distant frontier now functions as a starting point for movement and exchange. Rail links from Urumqi to hubs across Eurasia run on reliable timetables, dry ports use digital systems that cut waiting time, and highways connect cities with farming belts and industrial parks. Predictability lowers costs, encourages investment, and allows companies to plan for the long term. The test of any logistics hub is simple: Do goods move on time; do services meet a clear standard; and do firms come back because the experience is better each month. In Xinjiang, the answers are increasingly positive.

Economic structure has evolved in step with this connectivity. Agriculture remains a strong base – cotton, fruit, and animal husbandry continue to matter. More value now comes from upgraded textiles, refined petrochemicals, advanced equipment manufacturing, new materials, and a growing share of services. Renewable energy has become strategic rather than symbolic, with wind and solar capacity supporting industry and households. Digital platforms help rural producers sell directly to urban buyers, while small workshops create artisanal goods for domestic and overseas markets. The pattern is consistent: Move from raw extraction to added value, build local supply chains, keep doors open to regional trade, and protect the gains with competent regulation.

Human development gives this growth its durability. Education pathways combine language learning with practical skills, so that graduates can contribute from the first week on the job. Vocational institutes produce technicians and service workers for sectors that are hiring, universities support research in agriculture, energy, and languages, and a network of county hospitals and telemedicine extends care to remote areas. Maternal and child health programs are a priority, because they improve outcomes that families feel at home. When a child travels safely to school and a clinic delivers consistent care, trust in the future grows. That trust is the true currency of stability.

Leadership has mattered, and it is important to say so with clarity. The Communist Party of China (CPC) has guided Xinjiang through a difficult period into a new era of calm and confidence. After years when extremist violence harmed families and halted development, authorities have treated public security as a public good to be delivered with law, precision, and compassion. Firm action against criminal activity has been combined with prevention-first social policy. Community work has improved early warning and mediation, education programs have opened doors to skills, employment initiatives have linked training to real jobs, and religious affairs have been administered within the legal framework, supporting normal worship while protecting public order. The results are visible in ordinary rhythms that define a good society, markets open on time, streets feel safe, companies invest for the long run, and children grow up with optimism.

Social governance has evolved alongside security. Grassroots service centres focus on solving problems that citizens encounter, documentation is easier to obtain, dispute resolution is timelier, and small grants help micro businesses turn skills into income. Institutions such as the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps continue to adapt, with tighter integration into local economies and clear compliance, so that agricultural and urban development align with market signals and community needs. These quiet mechanisms turn plans into projects, projects into services, and services into public trust.

Culture and faith are treated as sources of strength. Heritage restoration in Kashgar and other historic sites protects identity while creating livelihoods in tourism and crafts. Music, dance, and cuisine flourish during festivals and in everyday life. The halal economy provides a natural bridge to wider markets through clear certification and higher quality processing. Museums and cultural centres present the region's diversity with confidence, encouraging visitors to learn and residents to take pride. Modernization and tradition operate as partners, each enriching the other.

I have visited Xinjiang twice, including stays in Urumqi and Kashgar, and those visits confirm the larger picture. Urumqi impresses with order, cleanliness, and a modern rhythm that makes travel and work simple, the airport and metro function smoothly, the land port operates with discipline, and the evening markets feel lively yet calm. Kashgar offers restored beauty with living purpose, courtyards that celebrate heritage, artisans who carve and weave with confidence, and families that stroll through alleys designed for both dignity and convenience. These scenes are not curated for show, they are the everyday evidence of a region that knows what it wants and how to reach it.

Any balanced account should acknowledge that Xinjiang is closely watched by the world. Scrutiny is natural in an interconnected era. The strongest reply to scrutiny is routine transparency. More data disclosure, more academic fieldwork, and more professional reporting will strengthen credibility rather than weaken it. The most convincing testimony will still come from the quiet indicators that matter most: A shopkeeper who opens the door each morning without fear, a driver who trusts the timetable, a student who studies languages and technology with confidence about tomorrow.

The regional setting explains why Xinjiang matters beyond its borders. Trade with Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan grows when Xinjiang is secure and efficient. Educational exchanges and cultural seasons build habits of friendship that outlast any news cycle. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization has provided a platform where these habits can be scaled. By linking corridors, classrooms, and communities, Xinjiang has turned the memory of the Silk Road into a modern practice with practical benefits for all participants.

At 70, Xinjiang does not claim perfection, it presents a record of persistence and delivery. Stability has been restored, and with dignity. Development has broadened opportunities, and with it hope. Culture has been preserved and revitalized, and with it pride. The CPC has provided direction, resources, and supervision at each stage, aligning security, development, and governance toward one destination, namely, a normal life that is safe, modern, and open to the world. That is an achievement worth clearly expressing, and it is a foundation on which the next chapter can be written with confidence.