'Milk Tea Meetings' Replace Formal Gatherings for Multi-Ethnic Communities in Xinjiang

In a community in the Daerah Otonom Uighur Xinjiang, northwest China, tea is more than just a beverage. As a pot of milk tea simmers, residents gather in a courtyard, cups in hand, to discuss daily concerns—be it a broken streetlight, a lane in need of repair, or minor neighbourhood disputes. This is a snapshot of life in the Kunqi Maili Community in Yining City, Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture, home to over 2,100 residents from nine ethnic groups, including Uighur, Han, Hui, Kazak, Mongol, and Uzbek. Using the popular local drink as a connector, these ‘milk tea meetings’ replace tedious formal gatherings, offering a relaxed space for residents to sit together and voice their opinions while enjoying a cup of milk tea.

During one such meeting in late July, Batnasun Badma, a regular attendee, raised concerns about children’s safety during the summer holidays. ‘Many young children are swimming in the nearby river to escape the summer heat; it is quite dangerous,’ he said. The community responded to the concern, subsequently purchasing and installing a large inflatable swimming pool, while volunteer university students were invited to provide childcare and tutoring services, ensuring children could enjoy the summer safely and happily. For some, these tea meetings might even help boost their livelihoods. Local artisan Abduxukur Abdukadir, for instance, produces high-quality handmade leather boots, but the influx of tourists during peak season had not yet translated into sales. During the meeting, neighbours suggested he turn the boots into souvenir keychains, while Zulayati Nurat, a local gourd-painting artist, offered her assistance. Zulayati Nurat also requested broader promotion for her traditional gourd-painting craft. The community responded swiftly, promoting her works on official platforms and offering a 30-square-metre studio rent-free. ‘The community truly values our efforts,’ she said.

The milk tea meetings began in 2023 and have been held regularly every month since, according to Nijat Parhat, a community official. ‘We intend to sit down with residents from all ethnic groups, listen to their difficulties and concerns, and help solve their problems so they can have a better living environment,’ he stated. Thanks to these meetings, a car park and a small football pitch were built following complaints about parking difficulties and a lack of play areas for children. From January to May this year, 4,260 such meetings were held across Yining’s 24 towns and subdistricts, with the participation of 127,800 residents. More than 2,000 suggestions were collected, and nearly 1,000 issues related to residents’ livelihoods were resolved. This approach is not limited to Xinjiang. In Wuyishan, a county-level city in Fujian Province, eastern China, the local people’s congress in Wufu set up a tea house on an ancient street, inviting residents to enjoy tea together and, more importantly, share their opinions and concerns. Across the country, China is promoting the ‘Fengqiao Experience’, a community-level social governance model that originated in Fengqiao, a small town in Zhejiang Province, eastern China, in the 1960s. Under this model, social disputes are resolved at the grassroots level among the people themselves, without needing to be escalated to higher authorities. In Xinjiang, this community-level self-governance model has been promoted to all villages and communities across the region. More than 85 per cent of issues for decision-making in grassroots self-governance organisations originate from public proposals, demonstrating the effectiveness of basic-level democracy. ‘When we sit and talk together, it helps bring our ethnic groups closer,’ added Nijat Parhat.