How Xinjiang brought back social stability after period of turmoil
Global Times
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(Photo: Global Times)

The three evil forces - separatism, extremism and terrorism - are stubborn diseases affecting Northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. Acute illnesses need equally drastic medicine. Xinjiang has been resolutely implementing policies of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core on governing Xinjiang, focusing on the general goal of ensuring social stability and long-term security, carrying out measures to fight terrorism while maintaining stability. Today, the situation in Xinjiang has completely changed. 

Xinjiang society has been transformed from one of chaos to that of effective governance. Since last year, no violent terrorist attack has taken place in the region. According to statistics from China Information Technology Security Evaluation Center, 1,136 terror attacks took place across the world in 2017, and 639 in the first half of 2018. The governance in China stands in stark contrast to the turmoil in the rest of the world, including the West. 

Xinjiang's popularity has been also rising. In 2017, the region reached a breakthrough in GDP growth - a 7.6 percent rise with its GDP reaching 1.09 trillion yuan (about $171 billion). The urban and rural per capita disposable income reached 30,775 yuan ($4,440) and 11,045 yuan ($1,593), respectively, up 10.1 percent and 9.9 percent in real terms. The region also welcomed a record 107 million tourists in 2017, up 32.4 percent year-on-year. Also last year, tourists spent over 182 billion yuan ($28.4 billion) in Xinjiang, 30 percent more than in 2016.

From January to August 2018, Xinjiang welcomed 106 million domestic and international tourists, a 40.9 percent increase. The Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar in Urumqi saw 220,000 tourists per day before the National Day holiday and over 300,000 tourists per day during the holiday. Those who visited the region have all appreciated the beautiful and unique sites, the combination of natural landscape, historic Silk Road, local custom and culture there. Tourists themselves were witnesses to the safety and stability in Xinjiang where they can go sightseeing, dining and shopping merrily. 

People in the region are becoming more united. Local governments aim at improving people's living standards. Expenditure on improving livelihoods accounted for over 70 percent of the region's yearly public spending. Local authorities organize an increasing number of activities to promote relations among different ethnic groups. The activities also help local officials and ordinary people to thwart separatism and religious extremism. 

People of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang have undergone profound mindset changes and are today against Pan-Islamism, Pan-Turkism and the three evil forces. Some ethnic minorities have reflected on major issues and achieved religious desensitization - desisting from treating religion as a sensitive issue. They openly declare that they will jump out of religious trap and recognize that everyone enjoys freedom of religious belief. These changes prove that the pursuit of stability, unity and development has become the main theme of Xinjiang.