Security fears batter tourism in China’s riot-torn western region of Xinjiang

October 12th, 2009 China says 6 people get death in Xinjiang riotsBEIJING — China says six people have been sentenced to death for murder and other crimes committed during riots in the western Xinjiang region in July that killed nearly 200 people. The official Xinhua News Agency said a court in the Xinjiang capital of Urumqi also sentenced a seventh person to life in prison.

September 15th, 2009 Chinese ban transport of explosives in UrumqiBEIJING — Chinese police on Tuesday banned explosives from being transported in the western region of Xinjiang, the scene of deadly ethnic rioting this summer, while more suspects were being investigated for a spate of mysterious syringe attacks. The Xinjiang Public Security Ministry said transport of weapons, ammunition, explosives and radioactive goods into or within Xinjiang would be suspended from Sept.

September 8th, 2009 Chinese region tightens rules on chemical salesBEIJING — The western Chinese region shaken by ethnic rioting and needle attacks is tightening controls over the sale of dangerous chemicals in an effort to improve public safety, state media reported Tuesday. Individuals or companies in Xinjiang wishing to buy dangerous chemicals will have to register with an identification card or business license, the Xinhua News Agency said.

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.

September 3rd, 2009 New protest in Chinese city torn by July riotBEIJING — Chinese residents protested deteriorating public safety Thursday in the western Chinese city of Urumqi where deadly ethnic rioting in July killed nearly 200 people, eyewitnesses said People living near the city center reached by telephone said hundreds, possibly thousands of members of China's majority Han ethnic group had gathered downtown to denounce the regional government and deteriorating law and order in the city of 2.5 million. Despite official claims of calm returning, safety fears have remained high since the July 5 riot among members of the region's main Uighur ethnic group who targeted Han, residents said.

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.

July 31st, 2009 BEIJING - The trials of suspects involved in the deadly July 5 riot in Urumqi are expected to start the middle of August, a source told the China Daily Thursday. The Urumqi Intermediate People's Court has been preparing for the hearings, according to the source.

July 11th, 2009 URUMQI - Authorities in northwest China's Xinjiang province Saturday said that tourism and air transport have been affected by the July 5 ethnic violence that claimed at least 184 lives. Authorities in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region said Saturday both tourism and air transport have been hurt by the July 5 riot that left 184 dead in Urumqi, the regional capital.

July 9th, 2009 GUANGZHOU - Many tourist agencies are calling off group trips to China's Xinjiang region following the recent deadly riots in Urumqi city that left at least 156 people dead and over 1,000 injured. "We are hoping that travel can resume by July 20, but it depends on the status in Xinjiang", said Tang Qiting, deputy manager with Guangzhilu International Travel Service in Guangzhou, capital of southern Guangdong province.

July 8th, 2009 BEIJING - Chinese authorities have lifted a curfew in the riot-hit CITY OF Urumqi after order was restored following deadly riots, a spokesman said. "The curfew was lifted in the morning and now the situation has normalised," the spokesman told RIA Novosti.

July 8th, 2009 BEIJING - China's riot-hit city of Urumqi appeared calmer early Wednesday, witnesses and state media said, a day after authorities imposed an overnight curfew following more ethnic-related protests and the gathering of armed gangs. "It's pretty normal," one foreign reporter said by telephone as he walked along a main road in the far western city midmorning.

July 7th, 2009 BEIJING - Several hundred Uighurs staged a protest Tuesday as Chinese officials took a group of foreign journalists on a tour of Urumqi, the riot-hit capital of the far western region of Xinjiang. The protesters sat down after they were blocked by riot police, reporters in Urumqi said.

June 5th, 2009 BEIJING - Teaching Mandarin lessons in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region is helping the people to fight terrorism, claimed Nur Bekri, chairman of the region. "Terrorists from neighboring countries mainly target Uygurs that are relatively isolated from mainstream society as they cannot speak Mandarin.

April 19th, 2009 Moderate quake rattles China's northwestBEIJING — Chinese seismological authorities say a moderate earthquake registering a magnitude of 5.5 Sunday has struck China's far western Xinjiang region. No injuries were immediately reported.