The Bosten Lake in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region -- China's largest inland freshwater lake -- has gone through a remarkable round of transformation from being plagued by environmental problems to what is now an ecological paradise and the remote region's top fishery base.
With one-fourth of its lands covered by desert, Xinjiang is one of the driest regions in China. Yet the Bosten Lake stands as a green oasis where life thrives. The inland lake has even become an aquaculture base for seafood in recent years.
Fishermen living in the region are vigilant against overfishing -- undersized fish are always released upon catch, and fry are routinely released into the lake to maintain the stock.
Over a decade ago, the Bosten Lake showed a different image. In 2012 the lake triggered an ecological red-alert with industrial pollution and a water level hovering at an all-time low.
"Before 2012 the lake was much smaller. From where we're standing you would have had to walk several hundred meters to reach the water. Now the surface keeps expanding, fish species are rising -- to more than 30 at present -- and this year's catch should reach about 6 000 ton, almost double what it used to be," said Meng Xuegang, a local village official.
To restore the environment, the primary task was to bring water back. In 2018, the region began an eco-transfer -- water from the Kaidu River was diverted into the lake. In 2022, for the first time ever, the floodgates of the Qingshui River east and west branches hundreds of kilometers away were also opened to feed the lake. Over the past eight years, a total of 15.4 billion cubic meters of water has been sent in, and the water level on the lake has been maintained consistently at around a healthy 1 046.8 meters.
The local authorities have also made efforts to choke off pollution sources. The lake's water quality is also thoroughly monitored on a monthly basis. In 2025 the lake's average water quality has stabilized at Grade III, which translates to the grade of 'fairly good'.
With the eco-system improved, the Bosten Lake is also attracting visitors from across the country and playing a role in boosting tourism development in the area.
The transformation of the Bosten Lake is a microcosm of Xinjiang's water management. Since 2021, the beginning of China's 14th Five-Year Plan period for national socioeconomic development, Xinjiang has invested 158 billion yuan (about 22 billion in U.S. dollars) into water infrastructure, completing 18 large and medium-sized reservoirs and 28 smaller water-source projects. Tap-water coverage in rural areas has reached 99.4 percent.
Environmentally challenged lake in Xinjiang turned into major fishery base
Iran has received U.S. feedback on its latest peace proposal through Pakistani mediators, and talks between the two sides are still underway, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Monday.
Speaking at a press conference in Tehran, Baghaei said that although the United States had publicly rejected Iran's 14-point peace proposal aimed at ending the conflict, Tehran had still received revisions and concerns through mediator Pakistan.
Such dialogue is continuing through the mediator, he said, stressing that although Iran does not trust the United States, it is still participating in the negotiations based on national interests.
Baghaei said that Iran has submitted its response to U.S. revisions to the conflict resolution plan.
"We approach every diplomatic process with deep distrust and serious skepticism in order to safeguard the national interests of Iran. Iran is aware that, given the United States' track record of undermining negotiations, it may repeat the same actions at any moment," Baghaei said.
Baghaei also said the current situation in the Strait of Hormuz stems from military actions launched by the United States and Israel against Iran, as well as what he described as violations of international law by the two countries.
Iran has taken relevant measures to ensure safety of navigation in the region, he said, adding that communication between Iran and Oman over issues related to the Strait of Hormuz is ongoing.
Baghaei said Iran harbors no hostility toward any country in the Middle East and called on all parties to remain vigilant against attempts by external forces to create division in the region.
Responding to repeated U.S. threats that military action against Iran could resume if no agreement is reached, Baghaei said threats and pressure have long been Washington's standard approach, but such tactics would not work on Iran.
He said Iran would continue advancing negotiations while closely monitoring developments and preparing for all possible scenarios.
Baghaei stressed that Iran would not abandon the rights granted to it under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and that the country is currently focused on efforts to end the conflict.
Also on Monday, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency, citing sources close to the Iranian negotiating team, said that Tehran had handed over its newest 14-point proposed plan for ending the war with the United States to Pakistan.
Pakistan will convey the plan to the United States, the report said.
The new proposal was submitted after Tehran revised its earlier 14-point draft in response to a recent U.S. proposal, the sources added.
According to the sources, Iran's new draft focuses on negotiations to end the war, as well as on "trust-building" measures.
In a separate report on Monday, Tasnim quoted another source close to the Iranian negotiating team as saying that, unlike previous U.S. drafts, Washington had agreed in its latest proposal to waive sanctions on Iranian oil during the negotiation period.
On the same day, however, a U.S. official said claims by the Iranian side that the U.S. had agreed to lift sanctions during the negotiations were false.
Iran, the United States and Israel reached a ceasefire on April 8 after 40 days of fighting that started with U.S. and Israeli attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities on Feb 28.
Following the truce, Iranian and U.S. delegations held one round of peace talks in Pakistan's capital Islamabad on April 11 and 12, which failed to yield an agreement.
Over the past weeks, the two sides have reportedly exchanged several proposed plans outlining conditions for ending the conflict through Pakistan.
Iran's foreign ministry says talks with US still underway
