The delegation also visited factories and agricultural bases, where they saw Xinjiang's industrial upgrading up close. At CRCC Heavy Industry Xinjiang Co., Ltd., participants toured intelligent manufacturing workshops. Ercan Sarikaya, editorial director of Milliyet daily, a Turkish newspaper published in Istanbul, said Xinjiang's industrial development and level of modernization were impressive, adding that its development experience offers valuable lessons worth learning from.

　　In Korla, the Yungengji Smart Farm Demonstration Base highlighted Xinjiang's push in smart agriculture. Jesus Rodriguez Rojo, a columnist with Spain's Mundo Obrero, said the region had developed a leading technical system in the field, with experience that could help Belt and Road partner countries upgrade local agriculture.

　　In Turpan, Ahmed Saail Ali, managing editor of the Maldives' SunOnline, said he was struck by how local people were making use of the extreme heat. "Especially in Turpan, I saw it's extremely hot, but they don't take that as a disadvantage -- they take advantage of it to make money," he said, pointing to solar energy projects and vehicle testing he had seen there.

　　Before his visit, he explained, most of what he knew about Xinjiang came from online information -- yet what he encountered on the ground stood in stark contrast: a profound sense of peacefulness.

　　The region's infrastructure development also impressed members of the delegation. At the Geological Exhibition Hall of the Tianshan Shengli Tunnel, foreign journalists studied models of fault zones and learned more about the tunnel project. Thanks to the tunnel, a journey that once took hours along winding roads now takes just over 20 minutes.