Foreign news

China urges better preservation efforts for ethnic minority cultures

Published

3 years ago

July 15, 2022

As the lyrics of a popular folk song in China goes, “the brothers and sisters from the 56 ethnic groups belong to the same family.”

China is home to 56 ethnic groups – the majority Han makes up around 91.5 percent of the country’s population along with 55 ethnic minorities, according to 2021 data. Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has been a multi-ethnic region since ancient times and, right now, it consists of over 45 ethnic groups.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, paid a visit to Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang, from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday morning. On Wednesday morning, he watched a show called “Manas”, which is from the Kirgiz ethnic minority at the Museum of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The performances have been inscribed as an intangible cultural heritage.

A cultural heritage like “Manas” is a treasure of both the Kirgizs and the Chinese nation, President Xi said, urging better preservation and promotion efforts.

The president added that the extensive and profound Chinese civilization is composed of outstanding cultures of various ethnic groups.

Xi urges officials to better respond to the needs of the people

While visiting the Guyuanxiang residential community in the Tianshan District on Wednesday morning, Xi urged local officials to put more effort into community-level work to better learn and respond to the needs of the people.

A lot of work must be done by relying on communities, Xi noted, adding that he attaches great importance to the work at the community level.

Xi also called for strengthening Party organizations at the community level and improving services in communities to benefit residents of all ethnic groups.

Xinjiang, a hub in Belt and Road cooperation

As Belt and Road cooperation advances, Xinjiang is no longer a remote corner but a core area and a hub, President Xi pointed out during his Tuesday afternoon inspection in Urumqi International Land Port Area.

Remarkable progress has been made since the Belt and Road Initiative was proposed, Xi said, telling the staff at the land port area that their work is of great significance.

While acknowledging the progress they have made, Xi encouraged them on to even greater success.

The ‘irreplaceable’ Corps

Xi traveled to Shihezi City on Wednesday afternoon, where he inspected the officials and staff workers at the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC), a group whose status he called “irreplaceable.”

Speaking to XPCC officials and staff workers, Xi said he was pleased about the great progress made by the XPCC in reform and development, and XPCC officials and staff workers themselves should also be proud. He stressed efforts to make the Corps stronger and more prosperous.

Xi also expressed his hope that XPCC officials and staff workers will carry forward the spirit of the XPCC, continue to work hard, step up reform, and make down-to-earth and persistent efforts to make the XPCC stronger and more prosperous.

During his stay in Shihezi City, Xi also learned about the history of the XPCC in cultivating and guarding the frontier areas, as well as the Corps’ efforts in strengthening its primary-level organizations, developing specialty agriculture, and promoting the integrated development of the Corps and local areas.

Share on Facebook

Foreign news

French Envoy Seeks Collaboration With NAN To Boost Seamless Relationship

Published

1 month ago

February 5, 2025

The Gleamer

The new French envoy to Nigeria, Marc Fonbaustier, on Wednesday called for collaboration with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) toward strengthening the mutually beneficial relationship between the two countries.

Fonbaustier, who is the French ambassador to Nigeria and the ECOWAS, made the call when he paid a courtesy visit to Malam Ali Muhammad Ali, NAN’s Managing Director, in Abuja.
The ambassador said that his purpose of visiting was to pay tribute to the MD, and to seek collaboration in three areas with a view to promoting stronger, seamless and fruitful partnership between both countries.

He added that Nigeria and its people were hospitable, especially to the foreigners and ambassadors alike.

He added that Nigeria was a country with so much energy, strength, stamina and so many talents.

In Nigeria, with the population of this size, it is inevitable that the elites of the country are very outstanding, “and there may be a Franco/Nigeria moments now”, he jokes.

According to him, France and Nigeria can collaborate more and learn from each other.
“I could feel it particularly during the state visit of President Bola Tinubu which took place in November 2024.

“I was there and I could see the intensity, the strength and the scope of the partnership, and I am here to scale up that partnership in all sectors.

“I am coming here for three reasons, first, to pay a tribute to the NAN MD and his team for the quality of this agency. We can testify that the contents that you publish are very factual, and also very well set up and structured.

“You do fact checking and you really do try to provide the community with quality information. I think, as a French ambassador, I can recognise that as part of a living democracy,” he said.

The French ambassador said the second reason for the visit was to intimate the NAN MD of France’s eagerness to go on partnership with NAN saying he hoped for assurance of a seamless, fluid and easy relationship.

He said that his third reason stemmed from his observation that NAN recently signed some partnership framework agreements with Egypt and China, saying “it may be time to think of balancing this partnership with others”.

“Especially with French, and to talk with Agence France-Presse (AFP) to see if there’s ground for a closer relationship between NAN and AFP.

“Which is also a recognised agency like yours, and I bet you the sky will be the limit to the collaboration, ’’he said.

Responding, the NAN MD informed the envoy that the agency was African’s biggest news content provider on account of its size.

Ali gave the envoy a little details of the agency’s operation and its outreach, saying “as our continent’s biggest news content provider, we have offices nationwide and in selected African countries.

“We have offices in countries such as South Africa, Cote d’ivoire, Addis Ababa, and then we have offices also beyond the shores of Africa. We have in New York and we are the only resident wire service in the United Nations.

“At a time in the past, the agency had 11 foreign offices, including Moscow, and presently, we are trying to re-open some of our shut offices, especially in London.
“We value partnership and understanding that we have with similar news organisation such as Reuters and, incidentally, we have a long standing relationship with AFP which you just raised.
“I know for years we have exchange of news between NAN and AFP but it’s a cooperation that we will like to strengthen and with your greater involvement,’’ he said.

The MD commended the ambassador for reaching out and engaging with some Nigerians communities to douse the tension of the allegation made by the Nigeriens.

He also lauded the envoy’s leadership and visibility to Nigeria and the ECOWAS, “which has helped to douse the perception and misconceptions about France, especially in the Sahel”.
“I think you have helped to reverse some of this perceptions. I thank you for the kind words that you said about the agency and about our management.

“We also see partnership as an important tool in checking the spread of fake news.
“We’ve seen instances where fake news has done great deal of damage, and with the coming of social media it has done even greater damage.

“Our country is facing a lot of challenges, one of which is the increasing insecurity, and the social media has been used by those who do not want to see our country to prosper,” Ali said.
He further said that NAN was a credible news agency that always fact check to correct the wrong narratives by those who are in the business of causing troubles.

He also told the envoy that the agency has its content in the Nigerian indigenous languages, starting with Hausa and it would proceed to Yoruba and Igbo languages later, “then later in future to French.

Share on Facebook