Xinjiang shares in the benefits of the Belt and Road

Shohrat Zakir (left) is interviewed in the People's Daily Online studio

Over the past three years, the Belt and Road Initiative has continued to advance. Located at the core of the Silk Road Economic Belt, Xinjiang has entered into an unprecedented period of opportunity for development. On May 11, Shohrat Zakir, chairman of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, told People’s Daily Online that a lot of work has been done in the past three years and progress has been made in building the region into Belt and Road centers for transportation, distribution and logistics, financial services, science and education, and medical services.

Shohrat Zakir said Xinjiang has achieved tangible results from participating in Belt and Road construction, saying that the people of the autonomous region are sharing in the benefits of housing, education, and healthcare policies. “For example, in recent years Xinjiang has helped nearly a million villagers and herdsmen to settle. We provide a free comprehensive three-year bilingual preschool education program in Xinjiang, and provide free high school education in the southern part of the region. Xinjiang’s school-age children are able to enjoy 15 years of free education. In addition, we provide a free comprehensive annual physical examination so the people of Xinjiang are aware about their health.” 

Shohrat Zakir, chairman of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region