Xinjiang: An integral part of Chinese civilization

"In fact, the story of Xinjiang fully demonstrates that Chinese civilization has always remained vibrant through its inclusiveness," Pan said.

Because of the ancient Silk Road, jointly opened up by ancestors of the Western Regions and the Central Plains, numerous trading cities have been built including Kashgar, Pan added.

"Over several thousand years, people from all directions and ethnic groups migrated, settled, traded, intermarried and formed a coexistence pattern in Xinjiang. Ultimately, Xinjiang and the Central Plains belonged to the same political community, which was the inevitable result of the development of economic, social and cultural communities," Pan said.