néng yuán能源xiàng dōng向东，jì suàn计算xiàng向xī西
China is building Xinjiang into a digital hub connecting Central Asia.
The region has abundant coal, natural gas, electricity, and land, as well as communication lines to neighboring countries.
Large data centers need huge amounts of electricity, so some artificial intelligence computing work is being moved to the west to provide services for eastern China and nearby countries.
Such construction may bring opportunities for transportation, communications, and the economy, but it also carries clear risks.
The homeland of the Uyghur people provides land, energy, and data, yet local residents have little ability to take part in deciding how projects are built and how profits are shared.
Mines, power plants, and industrial parks may also use up land and water, causing pollution and issues such as being assigned work.
More importantly, digital technology has already been used there in the past to monitor people's travel, communications, religious activities, and everyday social interactions.
Today, smart cities, digital IDs, and government databases continue to develop. Without public information, independent oversight, and privacy protection, technology can improve services but may also strengthen surveillance.
Therefore, digital cooperation should not only focus on speed and profit; it should also explain who can use the data and protect the rights of local residents.