Minority groups respected in autonomous region

The respect for minority groups in Xinjiang is something that the West should learn from, not point fingers at, said scholars at an international forum on Xinjiang.

The International Forum on the History and Future of Xinjiang was held in Kashgar, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region on Wednesday. Some 170 experts from China, the United States, Australia, Germany, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and other countries gathered to hold in-depth discussions on the theme of Xinjiang's history and future.

"Local culture is well-preserved here in Xinjiang. People are still speaking their local languages, performing their local dances, singing their local songs and creating their own local art. This is very different from the ethnic minorities and indigenous people in the West," said Barry Sautman, a retired professor of social science at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and a distinguished professor at Tsinghua University.