Karamay Hosts International Dialogue on ESG, Culture-Tourism Fusion, and AI-Era Media Integrity
Karamay welcomed an international gathering of experts, scholars, industry leaders, and media professionals on November 13 as the city launched the cultural communication event themed “Gathering in the Oil City, Enjoying the City, and Celebrating the Charm of Our Sister Cities.” Three high-level salons were hosted throughout the day, each dedicated to examining major global issues including ESG-driven energy transition, integrated development across culture, sports, and tourism, and the growing challenge of maintaining news authenticity in the era of artificial intelligence. Through diverse perspectives and engaged debate, participants explored pathways for high-quality development and fostered shared understanding.
P.c. China Pakistan Economic Corridor
Green Transformation at the Core of High-Quality Development
The morning session focused on the emerging global shift toward ESG principles and their impact on industrial innovation. The salon, titled “Practicing ESG Concepts, Promoting Green Energy Transition, and Accelerating the Development of New Productivity,” emphasized the increasing significance of environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and governance excellence in shaping the energy industry’s future. Hosted by Zhang Lili, President of the Shanghai Overseas Economic and Technological Promotion Association, the event underscored how ESG now acts as both a strategic driver and a competitive foundation for cities like Karamay seeking sustainable, high-quality growth.Experts highlighted ESG as a fundamental metric for assessing long-term corporate sustainability and non-financial performance. Discussions revolved around “How ESG Can Reshape the Industrial Chain and Stimulate New Productivity,” with contributors offering technology-driven insights.
Dr. Xu Yubing—CCUS pioneer and chairman of Xinjiang Dunhua Green Carbon Technology Co., Ltd.—outlined advancements in low-carbon technologies and reiterated his company’s dedication to scaling carbon capture, utilization, and storage innovations. Xinjiang Oilfield Company’s veteran energy researcher, Fan Yuxin, detailed the enterprise’s evolving transition from traditional oil and gas development toward becoming a comprehensive energy supplier.
Wang Tao, General Manager of Karamay Carbon and Network Technology Co., Ltd., focused on how digital solutions such as green computing power and intelligent carbon management can elevate regional energy efficiency.
From the financial sector, Kunlun Bank’s Deputy Manager Dong Yan discussed ESG rating trends and how customized green finance can empower low-carbon transformation across the energy value chain.
Macro-level insights were shared by Jin Dongxiao of the China Academy of Urban Planning and Design, who emphasized the importance of coordinated planning among industry, population, and urban development for resource-based cities.
A dynamic exchange followed, with participants debating technological limitations, market mechanisms, and policy coordination essential for ESG-driven transformation. Zhang Lili noted that the true achievement of the session was the interdisciplinary convergence of experts who jointly envisioned a sustainable developmental blueprint for Karamay. Dr. Xu praised the city’s forward-thinking integration of ESG principles, recognizing its policies as a benchmark both domestically and globally for future-oriented productivity and sustainable advancement.
Culture-Tourism Integration Unlocks New Urban Momentum
The afternoon’s second salon shifted focus to cultural innovation and tourism development. Titled “Culture as the Soul, Sports as the Empowerment, and Tourism as the Platform,” the session gathered specialists across cultural heritage, sports management, and creative industries to explore Karamay’s transition from “resource superposition” to “deep integration.”As Karamay strengthens its identity as the “Fashion Capital of Wilderness Journey,” the city has leveraged iconic landmarks like the World Devil City, the scenic Duku Highway, and deep-rooted petroleum history to build a distinctive cultural tourism brand. New industries—such as motorsports and low-altitude aviation—are contributing to a more diversified tourism ecosystem.
Speakers presented theoretical insights and case studies to guide sustainable integration. Professor Xu Jian of Shanghai University outlined the multi-dimensional value of industrial heritage and proposed a practical framework for transforming Karamay’s petroleum legacy into compelling cultural tourism assets.
Kong Jianling of Nanjing Shanpao Holdings showcased how the Karamay Marathon has evolved into a model for combining event-driven traffic with long-term tourism retention, highlighting opportunities for developing new sports-tourism synergies.
From an artistic angle, Professor Yu Yang of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music explained how high-quality creative works, especially in music, can activate cultural tourism IPs and amplify emotional connections between visitors and the city.
Adding a cross-border perspective, Professor Viniela Mambetalievna from Kyrgyzstan shared successful cases of integrating culinary culture with tourism, generating new possibilities for bilateral cooperation.
Huang Shiyong, President of the Karamay Culture and Tourism Association, synthesized these insights by emphasizing the need for refined service upgrades and efficient resource integration to elevate the city’s overall cultural tourism identity. The salon concluded with participants expressing confidence in Karamay’s potential to cement itself as a leading example of culture-sports-tourism integration across northern Xinjiang.
Safeguarding Truth in Journalism Amid AI Disruption
The final session of the day addressed the rapidly evolving relationship between journalism and artificial intelligence. The salon titled “How to Uphold the Truthfulness of News in the Global Artificial Intelligence Era” brought together media professionals from Russia, Egypt, Pakistan, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, and other regions to discuss the dual role of AI—its capacity to enhance news production and the risks it poses through misinformation, deepfakes, and algorithmic distortion.Speakers, including editors-in-chief Mian Abrar Hussein (Pakistan Today), Khalid Mehran (Egypt), and senior journalist Zainati Said (Algeria), collectively acknowledged that AI is reshaping every stage of news creation—from data collection to automated writing. While the technology accelerates workflows, its misuse can erode public trust.
Experts repeatedly emphasized the principle of “technology empowerment, ethics first.” Asghar Mohammed of the Associated Press of Pakistan stressed that AI cannot replace human accountability and called for robust cross-border fact-checking systems.
Saudi media consultant Khalid Sayim reminded that journalism’s emotional depth and societal role remain uniquely human.
Egypt’s Khaled Mehran warned of the growing trend of AI-generated news websites lacking editorial oversight, urging a stronger balance between automation and ethical review. Other speakers advocated for enhanced digital literacy, advanced verification tools, and the establishment of updated ethical standards to confront the challenges of AI-generated distortions.
Li Wuzhou of China Today Magazine summarized the salon by recognizing AI as a double-edged sword: powerful yet risky. He called for international collaboration to build a transparent, credible information environment where technology truly serves truth.
Through collective reflection, attendees reaffirmed that human judgment, responsibility, and conscience will remain central to journalism’s integrity in the age of AI.