Xinjiang separatists are doomed to fail, says Chinese President

October 10th, 2009 BEIJING - In the wake of an al Qaeda militant urging the Muslim Uighur minority in Xinjiang to launch jihad against the oppressive Chinese regime, Bejing has vowed to work with the international community to deal with terrorism. "We will continue to cooperate with the international community to jointly face the terrorism threat...Xinjiang has fully implemented the policies of equality of all ethnic minorities and religious freedom," China Daily quoted Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma, as saying.

September 21st, 2009 BEIJING - The Chinese government Monday published a white paper on the development and progress in northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur autonomous region. The paper termed national unification, ethnic unity and social stability as important for the region's development.

September 11th, 2009 China sentences 3 to prison over syringe attacksBEIJING — A court in western China's Xinjiang region sentenced three people to up to 15 years in prison Saturday for a series of mysterious syringe attacks that led to mass protests against the local government. The protests by tens of thousands of Han Chinese earlier this month said the government can't guarantee their safety.

September 8th, 2009 URUMQI - Authorities in riot-hit Chinese city of Urumqi have announced that those found spreading rumours will be jailed. In order to maintain peace between fighting Han Chinese and Uighur groups, police has also threatened that needle attackers would be liable to death penalty.

September 4th, 2009 Chinese city quiet after protests left 5 deadURUMQI, China — Security was heavy in the western Chinese city of Urumqi on Saturday after two days of demonstrations over a series of syringe attacks left five people dead and 14 injured. China's security chief blamed Muslim separatists on Friday for the needle attacks that have heightened tensions following ethnic rioting in July that left nearly 200 people dead according to official count.

August 25th, 2009 Chinese president visits restive Xinjiang regionBEIJING — President Hu Jintao made his first trip to China's restive western region of Xinjiang since last month's deadly ethnic riots, urging government officials and security forces to focus on maintaining stability and warning separatists that they are "doomed to fail." China Central Television on Tuesday showed Hu meeting with ethnic groups and local residents, visiting factories and talking with military troops. "You should make upholding social stability the most urgent task and maintain great strength to ensure triumph in the struggle to maintain stability in Xinjiang," Hu told a group of soldiers and police who had been involved in quelling violence that the government says left nearly 200 people dead and 1,700 injured.

August 11th, 2009 China says separatists threatened Afghan flightBEIJING — China refused an Afghan airliner permission to land after intelligence indicated a possible threat from separatists seeking independence for the restive western region of Xinjiang, an official Communist Party newspaper said Tuesday. The Global Times said authorities in Xinjiang received a report Sunday that a Kam Air flight that evening to Urumqi, the regional capital, could "possibly be threatened" by a group or groups seeking independence for the region, known as East Turkestan by the separatists.

August 9th, 2009 China reports bomb threat on plane to XinjiangBEIJING —China's state news agency said Sunday there was 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 did not identify the airline or the type of plane, but said the Urumqi airport had been told not to allow the plane to land.

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 30th, 2009 China issues most-wanted list for Xinjiang riotsBEIJING — China released a most-wanted list Thursday of 15 people it is seeking for their alleged roles in the worst ethnic violence to hit the country in decades. The government says 197 people died and more than 1,700 were wounded in the riots that broke out earlier this month in the western region of Xinjiang between minority Muslim Uighurs and majority Han Chinese.

July 29th, 2009 China welcomes 'moderate' US response to riotsWASHINGTON — A Chinese diplomat voiced appreciation Tuesday for what he called the "moderate attitude" of the U.S. toward the ethnic clashes in China's oil-rich Xinjiang region that killed nearly 200 people.

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 24th, 2009 DHAKA - China is a victim of terrorism like Bangladesh and India and wants to join the UN-led campaign against terror, a Chinese diplomat has said. Chinese special envoy Zhou Gang met the Bangladeshi leadership Thursday to brief them of the developments in China's Xinjiang province that recently witnessed protests by the Uighur community.

July 21st, 2009 BEIJING — China on Tuesday defended its policies on ethnic minorities, saying the violence in Xinjiang that killed nearly 200 people this month was triggered by separatists and not its treatment of Uighurs. During a televised news conference, the vice minister of the State Ethnic Affairs Commission blamed an underground separatist movement of Muslim, Turkic-speaking Uighurs and said China will never tolerate secession in its far western region.

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.