Xinjiang official stresses fighting separatism

• Source: Xinhua
• [08:25 March 08 2010]
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WEALTH GAP NOT ETHNIC ISSUE

The imbalance of living standards in Xinjiang is a regional issue, rather than an ethnic one, Nur Berkri said at the press conference.

The imbalance is mainly seen between different regions, urban and rural residents and between industries, he said.

In the region, underdevelopment is usually caused by history, inadequate natural resources, environment and low production level, in stead of ethnic factors, he said.

The living standards of people in Xinjiang have constantly improved in the past years, especially since the central government launched the Western Development campaign a decade ago, he said.

He said the region's GDP grew 8 percent to 427 billion yuan last year.

"We firmly believe wealth gaps in Xinjiang would be gradually narrowed," he said.

RENOVATION OF KASHI'S OLD CITY

The renovation of the old city zone in Kashi demonstrated the Chinese government's concerns for the lives of local residents, Akbar Hupur, commissioner of Kashi Prefecture, told the same press conference.

He said that the renovation work was carried out according to the national conservation standards for historical and cultural cities.

"The renovation of the old city zone in Kashi is a project that complied with the wishes of the people," he said.

With a history of more than 2,000 years, Kashi was historically the gateway and hub for the transfer of goods from China to central Asia and Europe on the ancient Silk Road with its culture featuring distinctive ethnic Uygur characteristics.

But the city is located in an area frequently hit by earthquakes, and houses in the old city of Kashi are mostly old and dilapidated, extremely vulnerable to earthquakes and fire.

Akbar Hupur said the purpose of the Kashi renovation was to protect people's lives and property, and improve their living conditions, while enhancing the quake-resistance of the old houses and preserving the original appearance of the ancient city.

The region planned to complete the comprehensive restoration of dilapidated homes within 28 blocks inside old Kashi city, which encompasses 65,000 households and 220,000 residents, said the commissioner.

He quoted a report by the China Office of the UNESCO in June 2009 as saying that the renovation of old towns in Kashi had kept their original architectural and cultural characteristics and maintained local people's traditional way of life.