STORY: Int'l journalists conclude trip to Xinjiang
SHOOTING TIME: recent footage
DATELINE: June 24, 2024
LENGTH: 00:02:53
LOCATION: URUMQI, China
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the trip of international journalists
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): FAISAL SAID MOHAMMED MASOOD SAADI, Journalist with the View newspaper from Oman
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): AIDAN JONAH, Editor-in-chief of The Canada Files
4. SOUNDBITE 3 (English): NATALIE BENELLI, Founder of independent media "neue presse" from Switzerland

STORYLINE:

A group of 17 journalists from 16 countries concluded a trip to NW. China's Xinjiang on Sunday.

The trip started on June 15, taking the journalists to various places across Xinjiang.

The journalists gained first-hand knowledge about Xinjiang via the trip.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): FAISAL SAID MOHAMMED MASOOD SAADI, Journalist with the View newspaper from Oman
"I have personally experienced the Chinese government's concern for Muslims and ethnic minorities. The government attaches great importance to the construction of infrastructure needed by Muslims, including mosques, and tourism. It also respects Muslims' clothing, diet and other customs. This is completely different from some reports that distort the reality of Xinjiang."

Journalists are impressed by local cultural preservation efforts.

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): AIDAN JONAH, Editor-in-chief of The Canada Files
"I think the Jiayi village really stood out to me as a place that protects and uplifts culture. What I think is key to me is there's a very intensity in protecting the culture in terms of the intangible culture inheritors at the regional and national level. It's a very calculated determined drive to maintain, preserve that culture and also take it. I think it's very impressive. It's thorough. It's dead serious. Claims of cultural genocide couldn't be any more ludicrous."

They were also invited to visit some local homes.

SOUNDBITE 3 (English): NATALIE BENELLI, Founder of independent media "neue presse" from Switzerland
"The other thing that is really, very impressive and beautiful is the homes of people that we were invited in and that we had to appear to visit. It's all very beautiful. It's a lot of colors. So this is in stark contrast with what the Western mainstream media, the Western mainstream media's way of reporting about Xinjiang. What we see is completely different. It's very important for me as a founder of an independent press organization in Switzerland, to go back to Switzerland and tell people in my country about the reality of this place."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Urumqi, China.
(XHTV)