China's Xinjiang bridge to Russia, Central Asia: Russian expert

Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, the largest Chinese administrative division which is celebrating the 60th anniversary since its founding, has become a bridge linking China to Russia and Central Asia, Russian political analyst and journalist Oleg Yakovlev said.

"Xinjiang, which borders eight countries and has a total border length of 5,699 kilometers, has become the connection point between domestic markets of China and neighboring countries," Yakovlev said in a recent interview with Xinhua.

It is no coincidence that the China-proposed Silk Road Economic Belt will pass here to connect the markets of China with those of the Eurasian Economic Union and then with the European Union, which will not only promote trade, but boost the entire infrastructure of the Eurasian continent, the expert said.

"The Chinese government steers the development of Xinjiang in order to accelerate the economic development of the region, which still lags behind the coastal provinces of the country," he said.

Despite difficulties in the region, he said, Chinese leaders have paid special attention to its development, to fighting poverty, as well as to preserving national cultures and traditions of the indigenous population, thus strengthening stability and security.

"At the current pace of growth, Xinjiang may become one of the centers of socio-economic and cultural development not only of the western part of China, but of the entire Central Asian region in the next 10 years," Yakovlev said. Endi