Pepe Escobar details the development of Xinjiang and the Silk Roads.

247 - The journalist Pepe Escobar published the video on YouTube. "Direct from Kashgar, exclusive: the economic boom in Western China" (watch here), in which he describes the economic and geopolitical transformation of the Xinjiang region. Recorded in Kashgar, a historic city on the Silk Road, the recording coincided with the China's National Day, on October 1st, and shows how the west of the country has consolidated itself as one of the most dynamic growth hubs.

According to Escobar, Kashgar is today a A key junction of the New Silk Roadsespecially because China-Pakistan Economic Corridor"Cashgar is one of the most strategic projects of the Belt and Road Initiative. It's a fundamental hub of the ancient Silk Road routes," the journalist highlighted, noting that the land route connects China to the port of Gwadar in Pakistan, linking China to the Arabian Sea.

The strategic importance of Kashgar

Escobar explains that Kashgar, which 25 years ago was a small town with just over 200 inhabitants, has transformed into an urban center with more than 4 million peopleToday, the city combines historical preservation with intense modernization, housing new business towers, hotels, and a bustling commercial area, especially during the so-called [season/season]. "golden week"when millions of Chinese tourists travel around the country.

A Caracórum highwayThe highway, which connects China to Pakistan, is cited as an example of a work of strategic importance and unique beauty: "one of the most stunning landscapes on the entire planet," said Escobar, despite the heavy truck and bus traffic.

Economic boom in Xinjiang

The journalist highlighted that Xinjiang is growing at rates above the national average. While the Chinese economy is advancing at around... 5% per yearThe province has recorded expansion of 8% a 8,5%This evolution is reflected in the establishment of new industrial parks, the increase in cross-border trade, and investments in sectors such as solar energy, electric vehicles, and information technology.

One example cited is the industry of jade...which ranges from mining to the finishing of sophisticated pieces. "They took local workers, sent them to jade processing centers in Japan and Germany. They came back and now they are practically a world reference," he explained.

The contrast with the West

In his geopolitical analysis, Escobar emphasizes the The chasm between Chinese dynamism and the crisis in the West.He observes that the Chinese middle class travels en masse through Xinjiang, enjoying modern infrastructure, quality hotels at affordable prices, and efficient security, while Europe and the United States are mired in policies of fear and militarization.

“The West is sinking into a state of advanced suicide,” he stated, contrasting NATO’s “war psychosis” with China’s focus on prosperity, education, and social welfare.

Beyond stereotypes about Xinjiang

Another point emphasized is his experience living in Xinjiang alongside local Uyghurs, which allowed Escobar to understand the reality far from the clichés disseminated by Western media. He highlights the architectural preservation in Kashgar, where the government offers subsidies for owners to maintain their historic homes.

"If you owned one of the old houses in the old city, not only could you maintain your house, but the government also gave you a subsidy to renovate and maintain it," he reported.

Pepe Escobar's analysis shows Xinjiang as a China's laboratory of the futureRegional integration, accelerated growth, mass tourism, and technological investments. More than just reporting on landscapes and ancient traditions, the journalist draws attention to the contrast between Chinese optimism and the strategic decline of the West.

"It's the entire Chinese middle class, prosperous and affluent, discovering western China," Escobar summarizes. Watch: