Cutting through an overload of information to get to the heart of the story.
This is The Point.
Welcome to a special edition of The Point with me, Lucien, coming to you from Kashi, or Kashka.
I've heard a lot negative things, and very anxious.
But then, I think I was very happy.
The reason why 300 million people come is because of the infrastructure,
the roads, the trains, the planes.
It will become like the central of this new technology
because it has all the elements that it needs.
There is AI also for it because you have e-commerce now going on with neighboring countries.
What is Xinjiang really like today and where is it headed going forward?
An ancient city of stones and bricks revitalized through openness and connectivity in the heart of the Eurasian continent.
Western headlines would have you believe the region is reeling under surveillance and suppression where the people are unhappy.
But what's conveniently missing from these narratives is real stories from those on the ground,
those with firsthand experiences.
In 2024, Xinjiang welcomed almost 300 million arrivals,
5 million of which were made by visitors from abroad.
That's 50% more than the previous year.
What exactly is drawing all these visitors?
What is Xinjiang really like today and where is it headed going forward?