ChallengingWesternnarrativesonXinjiang:Acloserlookatdevelopmentandprogress_GuangmingOnlineStudentspracticespeedskatingonarinkrunbythe181stRegimentMiddleSchoolinBeitun,XinjiangUygurautonomousregion.(YANDONGJIE/CHINADAILY)TheorchestratednarrativeofWesternfabricationsandslanderagainstChina'sXinjiangUygurautonomousregionaimstoobscuretheremarkableprogressachievedbytheregionanditsethnicallydiverseresidents,saidCharlesOnunaijuinanopinionpiecepublishedbyTheNation,aNigeriandailynewspublication,onJan16.Onungiju,directoroftheCentreforChinaStudiesinNigeria,shedslightontheideologicalfixationbyWesternpoliticiansandmediaattemptingtousetheXinjiangissuestoembarrass,pressureandevenattempttocontainChina.Heemphasizesthestarkcontrastbetweentheideologically-motivatednoisefromWesternpoliticalestablishmentsandthegroundrealitiesinXinjiang.Contrarytotheirnegativeportrayals,statisticsrevealarapid25.04percentgrowthintheUygurethnicgroup'spopulation,surpassingtheoverallXinjiangregion'sgrowthrateof13.99percent.Notably,thisgrowthsignificantlyexceedsthatoftheHanpopulation,whichonlyincreasedby2percent.OnunaijuunderscoresthetangibleprogresswitnessedinXinjiang,spanningindustrialdevelopment,relocations,education,infrastructure,urbanandruralaffordablehousingprojects,potablewatersafety,andecologicalconservationfacilities.Onunaijupointsoutthatfrom2016to2020,everyadministrativevillageinXinjiangwasconnectedtothepowergrid,accessibleviatarredconcreteroads.Over40,000apartmentswereconstructedtorelocatenearly170,000peopletomorefavorablelivingconditions,breakingfreefromtheshacklesofpoverty.Potablewaterfacilitieswereextendedto1.52millionimpoverishedresidents,andmeasureswereimplementedtoensurenochilddroppedoutofschoolduetopoverty.Furthermore,OnunaijuobservesthatXinjiangachieveduniversalbasicmedicalandcriticalillnessinsurances,coveringnotonlyXinjiangbutallacrossthecountry,withtheper-capitanetincomeofregisteredpoorhouseholdsinXingjianincreasingbyanimpressive32.32percentannually.OnunaijuhighlightsthathistoricalattemptstoexertpressureonBeijinghaveconsistentlybeenfutile.HeattributestheWest'spersistenceinsuchendeavorstotheir"increasinglydysfunctionalandextremelypolarizingdomesticpoliticalprocesses",drivenbyextremistideologiesthatviewtheriseanddevelopmentofnon-Westernpowersas"adirectthreat".InlightofChina'scommitmenttoimprovinglivingconditionsandgivingpeopletheopportunitytopursueabetterlife,OnungijusuggeststhattheUnitedStates,insteadoffocusingondistantXinjiang,shouldpaymoreattentiontoitsNativeAmericanpopulation"whostillliveinreserveareaswithoutaccesstolifeimprovingbasicamenitiesandanyrudimentofself-governingmechanismforculturalexpressionandresourcecontrol".Editor:DisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.