Terrorism prevention to intensify, Xinjiang chairman reports

Police seize a simulated gangster during an emergency drill in Urumqi, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, earlier this month. The scenario involved a female audience member at a sports event who was kidnapped by two gangsters with knives. MA YUAN/CHINA DAILY

The Xinjiang government will continue to intensify its campaign against terrorism in 2016, aiming to stop most terrorist activities at the planning stage to limit the harm to residents, the region's chairman reported on Monday.

Currently, about 98 percent of terrorist attacks in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region have been prevented at the planning stage, Chairman Shohrat Zakir said in delivering a work report during the annual session of the regional people's congress.

Xinjiang began a "strike-hard" campaign against terrorism on May 23, 2014, the day after a terrorist attack at a market in the regional capital of Urumqi left 31 dead. The yearlong campaign was extended to the end of 2015.

In 2015, the regional government enhanced its methods of maintaining social stability, especially at the grassroots level, where the source of the problem lies, said Zhang Chunxian, Party chief of Xinjiang, during a work conference on social stability on Friday.

The central government affirmed Xinjiang's efforts in anti-terrorism and maintaining social stability in 2015, even though the region has faced intensified terrorist threats from home and aboard, he said.

Although Xinjiang's overall social situation is stable, there are risks and concerns. The complicated situation won't be fundamentally eased in a short period of time, Zhang said.

In 2016, Xinjiang will focus on enhancing its anti-terrorism system built on the combination of deploying special forces, employing technology and launching a people's war on terrorists. Most importantly, all anti-terrorism work must be carried out in accordance with the law, he said.

The region will also seek to transform people convicted on terrorist charges while eliminating religious extremism, Zhang said.