Xinjiang transitions 'from disorder to governance'

The Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region has undergone "a historical transition from disorder to governance" and the social situation has been successfully stabilized, a senior Party official from the region said.

People's sense of security increased during the past decade, with statistics from 2021 showing that more than 99 percent of Xinjiang people said they feel safe, Zhang Chunlin, deputy secretary of the Communist Party of China Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region committee and head of the publicity department, said on Thursday evening.

"Not a single terrorist incident has happened in Xinjiang in the past five years," Zhang said in a group interview on the sidelines of the 20th CPC National Congress.

Influenced by the volatile international situation and rampant terrorism and extremism around the globe, Xinjiang had seen frequent terrorist activities. From 1990 to the end of 2016, terrorists and religious extremists carried out several thousand terrorist attacks in Xinjiang. The property loss incurred was enormous, according to the regional government.

While fighting terrorism and extremism in accordance with the law, the region has stepped up efforts to promote ethnic unity, which is seen as the lifeline for people from all ethnic groups in Xinjiang and as key to achieving long-term stability, Zhang said.

"We've continued to promote the use of standard spoken and written language and encourage people to learn the languages of different ethnic groups so people can effectively communicate with and understand each other," he said.

People in Xinjiang now understand that they belong to the community of the Chinese nation and have become more united, Zhang said.

In addition, people's sense of gain has also increased over the past 10 years, he said, adding that the average annual disposable income of urban and rural residents has risen 7.9 percent and 9.5 percent, respectively, since 2012.