In a community in the Daerah Otonom Uighur Xinjiang, northwest China,\ntea is more than just a beverage. As a pot of milk tea simmers,\nresidents gather in a courtyard, cups in hand, to discuss daily\nconcerns\u2014be it a broken streetlight, a lane in need of repair, or minor\nneighbourhood disputes. This is a snapshot of life in the Kunqi Maili\nCommunity in Yining City, Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture, home to over\n2,100 residents from nine ethnic groups, including Uighur, Han, Hui,\nKazak, Mongol, and Uzbek. Using the popular local drink as a connector,\nthese \u2018milk tea meetings\u2019 replace tedious formal gatherings, offering a\nrelaxed space for residents to sit together and voice their opinions\nwhile enjoying a cup of milk tea.<\/p>\n
During one such meeting in late July, Batnasun Badma, a regular\nattendee, raised concerns about children\u2019s safety during the summer\nholidays. \u2018Many young children are swimming in the nearby river to\nescape the summer heat; it is quite dangerous,\u2019 he said. The community\nresponded to the concern, subsequently purchasing and installing a large\ninflatable swimming pool, while volunteer university students were\ninvited to provide childcare and tutoring services, ensuring children\ncould enjoy the summer safely and happily. For some, these tea meetings\nmight even help boost their livelihoods. Local artisan Abduxukur\nAbdukadir, for instance, produces high-quality handmade leather boots,\nbut the influx of tourists during peak season had not yet translated\ninto sales. During the meeting, neighbours suggested he turn the boots\ninto souvenir keychains, while Zulayati Nurat, a local gourd-painting\nartist, offered her assistance. Zulayati Nurat also requested broader\npromotion for her traditional gourd-painting craft. The community\nresponded swiftly, promoting her works on official platforms and\noffering a 30-square-metre studio rent-free. \u2018The community truly values\nour efforts,\u2019 she said.<\/p>\n
The milk tea meetings began in 2023 and have been held regularly\nevery month since, according to Nijat Parhat, a community official. \u2018We\nintend to sit down with residents from all ethnic groups, listen to\ntheir difficulties and concerns, and help solve their problems so they\ncan have a better living environment,\u2019 he stated. Thanks to these\nmeetings, a car park and a small football pitch were built following\ncomplaints about parking difficulties and a lack of play areas for\nchildren. From January to May this year, 4,260 such meetings were held\nacross Yining\u2019s 24 towns and subdistricts, with the participation of\n127,800 residents. More than 2,000 suggestions were collected, and\nnearly 1,000 issues related to residents\u2019 livelihoods were resolved.\nThis approach is not limited to Xinjiang. In Wuyishan, a county-level\ncity in Fujian Province, eastern China, the local people\u2019s congress in\nWufu set up a tea house on an ancient street, inviting residents to\nenjoy tea together and, more importantly, share their opinions and\nconcerns. Across the country, China is promoting the \u2018Fengqiao\nExperience\u2019, a community-level social governance model that originated\nin Fengqiao, a small town in Zhejiang Province, eastern China, in the\n1960s. Under this model, social disputes are resolved at the grassroots\nlevel among the people themselves, without needing to be escalated to\nhigher authorities. In Xinjiang, this community-level self-governance\nmodel has been promoted to all villages and communities across the\nregion. More than 85 per cent of issues for decision-making in\ngrassroots self-governance organisations originate from public\nproposals, demonstrating the effectiveness of basic-level democracy.\n\u2018When we sit and talk together, it helps bring our ethnic groups\ncloser,\u2019 added Nijat Parhat.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/milk-tea-meetings-replace-formal-gatherings-for-multi-ethnic-communities-in-xinjiang-1786449393", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }