Stability vital to development of China, says Xi
Print Edition
LONG-TERM stability in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is vital to national security, President Xi Jinping said yesterday on the final day of his inspection tour to the region.
“The long-term stability of Xinjiang is vital to the whole country’s reform, development and stability; to the country’s unity, ethnic harmony and national security as well as to the great revival of the Chinese nation,” Xi said when meeting local Party and government officials.
Safeguarding the country’s unity and fighting separatism are of the upmost importance and in the basic interests of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang, he said. While fighting terrorism, China will deploy a “strike-first” strategy against terrorists in the region to deter enemies and inspire people.
The country’s counter-terrorism operations will maintain a high intensity and abide by the law, he said, adding that the government would implement appropriate policies to improve ethnic harmony and the common prosperity of all ethnic groups.
Xi’s four-day trip to Xinjiang has seen him inspect villages, businesses, troops, schools, police stations, mosques and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps in Kashgar and Urumqi.
Pan Zhiping, a counter-terrorism expert at Xinjiang University, said the visit came at a crucial time for stability in Xinjiang and was was a sign of the central government’s determination to fight terrorist forces.
At a police station in Kashgar on Monday, Xi ordered officers to improve services and crack down hard on criminals.
Yesterday, he was visiting a mosque in Urumqi, the regional capital, when he said he hoped religious people would take a clear stance against extremism. He urged them to assist local followers to better understand religious teachings.
“I believe Xinjiang’s religious people are righteous. They are able to take the right stance and have the initiative to contribute to the reform and development of the region and the country,” he said.
The president instructed local government officials to focus economic development on improving people’s lives and told them to spend more resources on employment, on alleviating poverty in rural areas and on measures to protect the environment.
Zeng Heping, of the Xinjiang Academy of Social Sciences, said that Xi’s instructions carried an important message. The president had paid considerable attention to issues concerning people’s livelihoods, and Zeng said the well-being of people of all ethnic groups in the region was the key to regional stability.
Xi said social stability and development in Xinjiang depended on a strong team of officials, effective grassroots management and mobilization of the people.
A contingent of Party officials who were politically reliable and who could stand up to tests was crucial, Xi said.
The right officials would be promoted to the right positions and they would be given the chance to show their abilities.
There would be favorable policies for officials working in Xinjiang, especially those at grassroots level, in terms of promotion, housing, allowances and security for themselves and their families, he said.
“We must foster and promote more officials from ethnic minorities,” said Xi. “We should promote and trust those who have been proven to be upright, loyal to the Party and competent.”
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