Xi Jinping begins rare visit to Xinjiang

Tuesday 23 September 2025 - 15:00

By: Sahili Aya

Xi Jinping begins rare visit to Xinjiang

Chinese President Xi Jinping has begun a rare visit to the northwestern region of Xinjiang, an area home to diverse ethnic groups, including the Turkic-speaking Uyghurs, according to state media reports on Tuesday. The vast region shares borders with Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, and has long been a focus of Beijing’s security and development policies.

Xi arrived in the regional capital, Urumqi, to attend events marking the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. During his visit, he met with representatives of different ethnic communities and called on them to “work together to build a prosperous Xinjiang.”

For more than a decade, the region has been the subject of strict security measures under the banner of counterterrorism. Western governments and rights organizations have accused China of running mass internment camps and enforcing forced labor programs, targeting Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities. Beijing denies these allegations, insisting its policies have brought stability, reduced extremism, and boosted economic growth.

Xi’s trip comes just weeks after a similar rare visit to Tibet, another autonomous region where Beijing faces criticism for restrictions on religious freedom and tight surveillance. The Chinese government maintains that its actions have significantly improved living standards and infrastructure in both regions.

Although Xinjiang and Tibet are formally designated as autonomous regions, in practice their political, cultural, and social life remains closely controlled by central authorities in Beijing.