Xinjiang official, residents share experiences at UN webinar

The Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region has seen great achievements in education, healthcare and employment after stepping up efforts to improve the people's livelihood over the past few years, an official from the local government said.

Erkin Tuniyaz, chairman of the regional government, shared these and other achievements with guests from home and abroad during a seminar themed "People First" on Tuesday via video link, which was jointly held by the government and the Permanent Mission of China to the United Nations Office at Geneva.

He said about 2.35 million new urban jobs have been created in the past five years, and the regional government has also supported and encouraged local residents to start their own businesses.

A primary healthcare service network covering urban and rural areas has been set up, while more than 4,400 rural kindergartens have been newly built, rebuilt or expanded, he added.

During the webinar, a few residents from places in the region, including Kashgar and Hotan, talked about their lives and showed their workplaces, such as schools and factories, to the foreign representatives.

Nikita Zhukov from Russia welcomed the presentation from the regional residents and the official, saying their vivid accounts made him better understand the real Xinjiang and what the regional government has done in poverty relief and social protection.

Latsamy Keomany from Laos also said the information about Xinjiang provided at the webinar has shown social stability in the area and the rights of local residents have been guaranteed, thanks to the regional government's people-centered approach.

Regarding the approach as a priority in Xinjiang's development, he suggested other developing countries draw lessons from the government and its efforts.