Uygur photographer Kurbanjan Samat is receiving an interview with China.org.cn. [Photo by Chen Boyuan/China.org.cn]

Release of the English version

Samat said that some foreign media organizations such as Japan's NHK and the BBC have sought interviews with him since it was announced that an English edition of his book would be released at BookExpo America.

"The foreign media has seen a lot of documentaries about Xinjiang, but most were simply for tourist promotion. The general appearance was beautiful, but still couldn't fully reflect a diverse Xinjiang and its local people. This was what they were eager to learn about," Samat said.

"They had the impression that the people in Xinjiang are a marginalized group," Samat explained. He said he believed that the foreign media has had very few channels through which to grasp the reality of life in Xinjiang, so their impressions have become more one-sided under the influence of their own ideas and perspectives.

Samat believes his book will change that. "I think it is also a way to understand the world, too. All in all, the present situation in the world involves the integration of diversity. It is a global topic.”

"The people of Xinjiang are the epitome of the world's multicultural integration. They come from different ethnic groups and have different religious beliefs and perceptions, but they love peace just as everyone in the world does," Samat asserted.

Launch ceremony and future plans

Samat said the book tells stories about Xinjiang and also about China and the "Belt and Road" initiatives to boost cooperation along the ancient Silk Road trade route.

Currently, he is working on the launch of Arabic, Japanese and Turkish versions of his book and a TV documentary, also entitled "I Am from Xinjiang."

"The Arabic and Turkish versions are expected to be launched this autumn in Egypt and Turkey, respectively, while the documentary will hopefully be broadcast in October. It will cover the stories of 18 people from seven ethnic groups in the country," he said.