When the People's Republic of China was first formed in 1949, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region was a largely underprivileged area. It suffered from low life expectancies, literacy rates, and high poverty numbers. Yet 70 years on, the area is vastly different. On Tuesday Xinjiang officials spoke in Beijing, inviting visitors to come to see the region, particularly its centers focusing on counter-terrorism and deradicalization. CGTN's Wu Guoxiu reports.

The sights, sounds and smells of Xinjiang.

But it's Beijing, at the State Council Information Office, where Xinjiang officials meet the press.

SHOHRAT ZAKIR, CHAIRMAN XINJIANG UYGUR AUTONOMOUS REGION "Today's Xinjiang features a stable society, developing economy, ethnic unity, harmonious religions. People of all ethnic groups are living and working in peace and contentment. All careers are prosperous. It's in the best development period in history."

Officials say the autonomous region's GDP has grown 200 times since its official establishment in 1955.

Last year, central government subsidies accounted for over 60 percent of Xinjiang's budgetary expenditures.

Also last year, 99.9 percent of the region's children were enrolled in primary schools, a vast change from the 90 percent illiteracy rate there in 1949.

Xinjiang residents' life expectancy also increased from 30 to 72.35.

WU GUOXIU BEIJING "While introducing economic progress in Xinjiang in the last 7 decades, the officials also stressed boosting ethnic unity in the multi-ethnic autonomous region, and restricting the spread of religious extremism is also one of the government's key tasks now."

Xinjiang has taken a series of counter-terrorism and deradicalization measures, including setting up vocational education and training centers.

Officials say several countries' envoys, ambassadors, international organization officials and reporters have visited the centers.

ALKEN TUNIAZ, VICE CHAIRMAN XINJIANG UYGUR AUTONOMOUS REGION "We made achievements in practice and exploration. Many people have found jobs, some have signed working contracts in their hometowns, some have started businesses with government support, lifting their families out of poverty."

SHOHRAT ZAKIR, CHAIRMAN XINJIANG UYGUR AUTONOMOUS REGION "The majority of visitors including officials from other countries feel this is a unique initiave. It's a good education method to contain the spread of terrorism crimes and extremism. We welcome media, officials, people from all walks of life, religious people to visit Xinjiang any time, to anywhere, any vocational center."

Bordering 8 countries, Xinjiang is being built as the hub of the Silk Road Economic Belt. The region has 21 civil airports, with flights reaching Tehran, Tbilisi, Georgia and Vienna, Austria. Wu Guoxiu, CGTN, Beijing.