"The great development witnessed by Xinjiang can serve as a guide for developing countries, especially Egypt, given the similarities in geography and economic structure between the two regions," said Ali El-Hefny, vice-chairman of the Cairo-based Egypt-China Friendship Association and former Egyptian ambassador to China.
CAIRO, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian and Chinese experts convened here on Tuesday to discuss the economic and social development in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
Xing Guangcheng, director of the Institute of Chinese Borderland Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, elaborated on China's policies and practices to bolster the region's economic and social development.
As a scholar who has long worked and lived in Xinjiang, Tursun Ebey, associate professor at Xinjiang University's School of Journalism and Communication, highlighted the achievements in Xinjiang's development and human rights endeavors, including the right to work.
Tursun Ebey said the development of Xinjiang allows people from all ethnic groups in the region a better life. He expressed the desire to engage in broad exchanges with individuals from outside China, build mutual understanding and collaborate to further the progress of human rights worldwide.
For his part, Ali El-Hefny, vice-chairman of the Cairo-based Egypt-China Friendship Association and former Egyptian ambassador to China, commended China's comprehensive approach to improving living standards for all ethnic groups in Xinjiang.
"The great development witnessed by Xinjiang can serve as a guide for developing countries, especially Egypt, given the similarities in geography and economic structure between the two regions," El-Hefny told Xinhua at the event.
Abu Bakr al-Deeb, advisor to the Cairo-based Arab Center for Research and Studies, said he saw a prosperous region when he visited Xinjiang last year, with booming sectors including agriculture, industry and culture. The development experience of Xinjiang is worthy of study, the expert said
The event, organized by China's State Council Information Office in cooperation with the Chinese embassy in Egypt, offered a platform for the Arab country to gain insights into Xinjiang's substantial progress in human rights and development.■