"There is a huge funding gap to be filled in key projects, such as infrastructure construction, in countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative. It is necessary and timely to inject more money into Silk Road Fund to leverage more funding sources to close the gap."

Yi Gang, vice-governor of the People's Bank of China, on May 14 speaking of the government's latest step to provide additional financial support to the Silk Road Fund.

"My children and grandchildren want to speak Chinese, because they know that's where the future is."

Taleb Rifai, secretary-general of the United Nations' World Tourism Organization since 2010, speaking at the China National Tourism Administration's headquarters on May 15.

"We expect to see more foreign patients this year because coming to Urumqi for surgeries and health checks has become a popular trend. People have been drawn to Xinjiang to seek help from neurosurgeons and orthopedic surgeons. They are also interested in traditional Chinese and Uygur medicine."

Liu Chengyuan, deputy mayor of Urumqi, saying that more patients from Central Asian nations sought medical care in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region last year because of its high quality healthcare and its proximity.