BEIJING -- The State Council Information Office on Thursday issued a white paper on cultural protection and development in Xinjiang.

Ethnic cultures in Xinjiang are part of the Chinese culture, and different ethnic cultures have communicated and integrated with each other, constituting a legacy shared by the Chinese nation that has brought into being a splendid Chinese culture, said the white paper.

Since the People's Republic of China was founded in 1949, the Chinese government has attached great importance to documenting and protecting the excellent traditional ethnic cultures in Xinjiang, and ensuring that they are passed on to succeeding generations, it said.