People in Shihezi City of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in northwest China hailed the rapid development of the region and commended the favorable government policies that ensured people of various ethnics here to live and work in peace and contentment.
This year marks the 70th founding anniversary of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC). When talking with China Global Television Network (CGTN), residents here have shared their satisfaction about the rapid development since the founding of the corps.
"Very good. The situation in Xinjiang is stable, and our country has developed very well in recent years," said a local. The XPCC was founded in 1954 by demobilized military personnel in Xinjiang
As an important component of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the XPCC is a special social organization that handles its own administrative and judicial affairs within the reclamation areas under its administration, in accordance with the laws and regulations of the state and the region. It also assumes the responsibilities of cultivating and guarding the border areas.
"We are the second generation of demobilized military personnel. And the 70th anniversary means the prosperity of our country. We can sing and dance heartily here every day. We are very happy," said a woman.
In addition, a batch of new recruits were seen dressed in uniforms and lined up neatly. They were about to embark on a brand-new, glorious military career.
Local people have witnessed earth-shaking changes here over the past few decades, as the country has formulated and implemented a string of policies to improve people’s living standard during the decades-long period.
"I have been here for more than 30 years. Now I'm retired, and I came to Shihezi to spend my retirement days. And the scenery in Shihezi is really wonderful, with good air quality," said a resident.
"It's changed a lot. Because the policies introduced by our Party are so good, so the changes here are earth-shaking," said another resident.
When comes to the sanctions imposed by the United States on the XPCC, people say that the United States is undermining their unity and the sanctions are groundless.
"Our ethnic unity is solid, but the United States is trying to destroy our unity," said the resident.
"The sanctions imposed by the United States are futile. The people in the Corps share solidarity of mind. We have such an enjoyable life here. People live and work in peace and contentment, free from wars and worries. And we have ample food, drinking and enjoy high affordability," said the woman.
"We should just do what we need to do and work to improve people's lives. This is our response to the United States," said the local.
Residents of Shihezi celebrate 70 years of XPCC development, praise government policies for ethnic harmony and prosperity
The 10th China-Russia Expo opened on Sunday in Harbin, the provincial capital of Heilongjiang in northeast China, highlighting the resilience, vitality and mutual benefits of China-Russia economic ties.
Held from May 17 to 21, this year's expo covers a floor space of 55,000 square meters, with more than 1,500 companies from 46 countries and regions taking part. Nearly 300 Russian companies are attending, while over 5,000 buyers are expected.
Since 2014, the event has attracted more than 7,200 Chinese and Russian companies and over a million visitors.
The China-Russia Expo is the largest comprehensive exhibition platform between the two countries.
President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin each sent congratulatory letters to the event, encouraging all sectors from both countries to seize the opportunity, make full use of their geographical proximity and economic complementarity, and further expand all-round practical cooperation.
"Leaders of the two countries have signed agreements to deepen practical cooperation, which we fully support. Russia and China stand side by side for common development, benefiting young people and all people. Such cooperation is timely and far-reaching. We are here in Harbin for the China-Russia Expo, coming from Russia's Sakha Republic. Our region is dominated by agriculture. We are seeking advanced farming technologies including irrigation equipment and harvesters. We hope to reach deals in the coming days to boost local development," said Vasiliy Petrovich Alexeev, head of Ust-Aidan Region of the Russian Federation.
"We are greatly inspired by the congratulatory letters from the heads of state of China and Russia. We will keep building targeted and efficient cooperation platforms, and smooth channels for sub-national exchanges between China and Russia," said Chen Shijun, president of Heilongjiang Council for the Promotion of International Trade.
China-Russia trade volume has surpassed 200 billion U.S. dollars for three consecutive years. China has been Russia's largest trading partner for 16 years running.
In the first quarter of this year, bilateral trade volume hit 60 billion U.S. dollars, a year-on-year increase of more than 14 percent.
This year's Expo features eight major exhibition zones. Beyond the exhibition halls, Russian delegations have also conducted field visits to Chinese companies. A delegation from the Republic of Buryatia visited one of northeast China's largest building materials distribution centers to explore potential areas of cooperation.
"Regular China-Russia economic and trade events continuously bring fresh cooperation opportunities for both sides. This field trip to Xilong Building Materials Market has helped us explore more practical directions and modes for bilateral cooperation," said Alexei Tsydenov, head of the Republic of Buryatia of the Russian Federation.
"Relying on Buryatia's abundant mineral resources and sound logistics conditions, we plan to build industrial parks focusing on home building materials, mineral resources and energy sectors in Russia. We will introduce advanced Chinese technologies and management models to drive coordinated industrial upgrading between the two countries," said Wu Jinrong, vice president of Harbin Xilong International Trade and Logistics Park.
From everyday consumer goods to advanced helicopters, and from mineral resources to intelligent robotics, China-Russia cooperation now spans a wide range of sectors. Economic ties and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries continue to advance toward higher-quality development and broader prospects.
China-Russia Expo promotes trust, cooperation, mutual benefit
