China says President Hu Jintao leaves G8 early because of Xinjiang violence

September 20th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Expressing solidarity with the Chinese Government over the recent communal conflict in Xinjiang, the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) has said that the unrest was an attempt to destabilize China, and suggested that it was fanned by 'hidden hands'. In a joint letter to Chinese President Hu Jintao, PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Secretary General Mushahid Hussain said they are with the people of China and would stand by them in thick and thin.

September 5th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - China has said that Pakistan saved Beijing from embarrassment by persuading certain Islamic countries not to take the issue of ethnic violence in Xinjiang before the Organisation of the Islamic Conference. Replying to a question while interacting with media persons at the Chinese embassy here, Chinese Ambassador Lou Zhaohui said: "Yes, Pakistan played its role in doing so." Zhaohui said Islamabad has been very helpful in assisting China counter the Xinjiang violence and the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM).

September 5th, 2009 URUMQI - The communist party chief of Xinjiang capital Urumqi and the police chief of northwest China's Xinjiang region were removed from their posts Saturday. Li Zhi, secretary of the Urumqi Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), was replaced by Zhu Hailun, secretary of the CPC Xinjiang Autonomous Regional Political and Legislative Affairs Committee, according to a decision by the CPC Xinjiang Autonomous Regional Committee.

August 26th, 2009 UYGUR - Chinese President Hu Jintao, who made his first trip to the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region since last month's deadly riot, has warned the separatists that they are "doomed to fail". The July 5 riot, which killed 197 people and injured more than 1,600, were masterminded by the "three forces" of terrorism, separatism and extremism both at home and abroad, he said.

August 9th, 2009 Plane hijacked in China's restive Xinjiang regionBEIJING —China's state news agency says a plane has been hijacked in the restive western region of Xinjiang, which was rocked by ethnic riots last month. Xinhua News Agency did not give any details about the hijacking in a brief report Sunday.

August 9th, 2009 China reports bomb threat on plane in XinjiangBEIJING —China's state news agency says there has been a bomb threat on a plane from Afghanistan scheduled to land in Xinjiang, the restive western region of China that was rocked by ethnic riots last month. Xinhua News Agency earlier said the incident was a hijacking.

August 3rd, 2009 URUMQI - Police in China's northwestern Xinjiang province have detained 319 more people in connection with the July 5 riots in this provincial capital. The arrests were made after the police said to have detained 1,572 people in connection with the clashes in which 197 people were killed and hundreds were injured.

July 28th, 2009 Chinese leader stresses ethnic unity to minoritiesBEIJING — China's president called Tuesday for the strengthening of ethnic unity in the country — his first public comments on the issue more than three weeks after deadly riots in the far west killed nearly 200 people. President Hu Jintao did not directly refer to the violence in Xinjiang between minority Uighurs and majority Han Chinese.

July 10th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MP Shafiqur Rahman Barq Friday said the Indian government should appeal to the Chinese government to stop the ethnic violence in Urumqi city of Muslim-dominated Xinjiang province of China. "Our government should appeal to the Chinese government to stop the ongoing violence in Urumqi city," Barq told IANS.

July 9th, 2009 BEIJING - More traffic and shoppers returned to the streets of China's riot-hit city of Urumqi Thursday as thousands of paramilitary police patrolled. Markets and car parks were busier than Wednesday as the government appealed for calm and stressed after ethnic-related violence there that life in Urumqi was "returning to normal".

July 9th, 2009 URUMQI - A senior official has warned that China will execute anyone found to be behind the 156 riot killings in the north west city of Urumqi. Sky News quoted Li Zhi, the Communist Party boss of Urumqi, as saying that the government would seek the death penalty over bloody protests in the capital of Xinjiang.

July 9th, 2009 BEIJING - Chinese President Hu Jintao vowed "severe punishment" for the perpetrators of the Xinjiang riots that left at least 156 people dead and over 1,000 injured, a statement said Thursday. Hu Wednesday night presided over a meeting of the Communist Party of China's (CPC) standing committee of the politburo of the central committee.

July 8th, 2009 DHARAMSALA - Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama Wednesday expressed concern over the ethnic clashes in China's Xinjiang province that have left at least 156 people dead and over 1,000 injured. "I am deeply saddened and concerned with the worsening situation in East Turkestan (Xinjiang), especially with the tragic loss of lives," the Nobel peace laureate said in a statement.

July 8th, 2009 FLORENCE - Chinese President Hu Jintao has cut short his G8 visit to Italy and flown back to Beijing in the wake of Xinjiang's worsening situation. Hu will miss the meeting between the leaders of the G8 major industrial industrialized nations and five emerging developing countries in L'Aquila, China Daily reports.

July 8th, 2009 FLORENCE - Chinese President Hu Jintao cut short his stay in Italy and left for home early Wednesday without attending the G8-G5 summit following the violence in Xinjiang region that has left at least 156 people dead and over 1,000 injured. State Councillor Dai Bingguo will attend the summit meetings in the central Italian city of L'Aquila on Hu's behalf.