The 17th Silk Road Studies Forum, which brought together 40 experts from Beijing, Shanghai, and the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region for a three-day event, concluded at Shanghai International Studies University (SISU), on Saturday.

The forum focused on topics with both academic and practical significance, including autonomous knowledge production in the neighboring regions of West China, discourse system construction, and the high-quality development of the core areas of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Experts emphasized that doing research on the neighboring regions of West China must adhere to correct political, value, and academic orientations. Additionally, several experts highlighted Xinjiang's crucial role as a functional hub in the BRI's core area.

A faculty member from Xinjiang Arts University shared practical pathways for empowering culture in Xinjiang through art over the past years. An official from Shanghai's publicity department outlined key projects for cultural enrichment in Xinjiang spearheaded by Shanghai in recent years.

An official with the Ministry of Education said that research on the neighboring regions of West China not only forms the basis for understanding the Silk Road but also supports the country's overall diplomatic and foreign strategic layout.

The Silk Road Studies Forum, now in its 17th edition, has become one of the country's most influential forums in the research field related to the BRI. Since its establishment a decade ago, the Institute of Silk Road Strategy Studies of SISU has achieved significant progress in research on neighboring regions of West China and plans to further explore the Chinese autonomous knowledge production path for high-quality BRI cooperation over the next five years.