The Ministry of Education (MOE) held a consultation with the government of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC) in Kashgar on Sept. 21. The meeting reviewed President Xi Jinping’s important remarks at the National Education Conference (NEC) held on Sept. 9–10 this year. It also discussed measures to be taken to foster MOE–Xinjiang collaboration in promoting high-quality development of the education sector in Xinjiang. Chairman of the CPC Xinjiang Autonomous Region Committee and Chairman of the CPC XPCC Committee Ma Xingrui joined Minister of Education Huai Jinpeng in attending and addressing the meeting. A few other high-ranking officials from the MOE and the autonomous regional government also participated.
Ma noted that President Xi’s instructions at the recent NEC provided important guidance on how to turn China into a leading country in education. Ma also stressed the need for the Xinjiang government to prioritize education, based on a deep understanding of education’s fundamental role in maintaining long-term social stability and bolstering economic development in the region.
Ma said that the Xinjiang government would strive for high-quality development of education at all levels, including K–12 regular education and vocational education, while considering Xinjiang’s unique strengths and major constraints. He highlighted several key tasks for the next stage: further promoting moral education, facilitating the sharing of excellent educational resources, developing a strong teaching workforce to expand the pool of scientific and technological talent, and strengthening higher education in southern Xinjiang. He also underlined the importance of policy support, coordination between the Xinjiang Autonomous Region government and the XPCC, and optimizing the allocation of financial resources while implementing these tasks. He expressed hope that the MOE would continue to provide strong support for Xinjiang’s education sector.
Huai emphasized the important role of education in supporting China’s modernization drive. He acknowledged Xinjiang’s achievements in raising public awareness of ethnic unity, improving the overall quality of basic education, and increasing educational cooperation with Central Asian countries. He said that the MOE would work with the Xinjiang regional government and the XPCC to enhance the education system in Xinjiang so as to enable it to better serve the development of the region and the nation as a whole.
In parallel with the consultation meeting, a symposium was also held to review and absorb the guidance arising from the NEC. At the symposium, representatives from the CPC Kashgar Municipal Committee, educational and sci-tech departments of the Xinjiang Autonomous Region government, the educational bureau of the XPCC, and several educational institutions and enterprises in Xinjiang shared their insights. Other attendees included officials from MOE departments, and educational departments of the Xinjiang Autonomous Region government, etc.
During his tour in Xinjiang, Huai also visited Kashgar Vocational College, Tumxuk No. 1 Middle School under the auspice of the XPCC, and Kashgar University.
