Xinjiang’s newly appointed leader has pledged to maintain a focus on social stability in China’s far western region, where human rights practices have fed international criticism and boycotts.
Chinese Communist Party Secretary of Xinjiang Ma Xingrui (馬興瑞), 62, pledged in a speech following his appointment on Saturday to turn Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) blueprint for the region into reality.
The government would “firmly promote continuous and long-term social stability in Xinjiang, and never allow any reversal for the hard-won stability,” the Xinjiang Daily reported Ma as saying.
Ma — previously governor of Guangdong, China’s most populous province — replaced Chen Quanguo (陳全國), 66, in the region’s top office.
The outgoing secretary credited Xi’s “helmsmanship” with achieving social stability, high-quality economic growth, and a happy and peaceful life for the region’s residents.
Chen was placed under US sanctions for his role in “implementing a comprehensive surveillance, detention and indoctrination program” targeting the region’s predominately Muslim Uighur population, the US Department of the Treasury said last year.
Ma’s appointment suggests that the former aerospace engineer is likely to gain a seat on the 25-member Politburo after a twice-a-decade party congress scheduled to be held next year.
He headed China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp (中國航天科技集團公司), the main contractor for China’s space program, from 2007 to 2013, and became a vice minister of industry and information technology that year.
PREPARATION: Ferry lines and flights were canceled ahead of only the second storm to hit the nation in November, while many areas canceled classes and work Authorities yesterday evacuated more than 3,000 people ahead of approaching Tropical Storm Fung-wong, which is expected to make landfall between Kaohsiung and Pingtung County this evening. Fung-wong was yesterday morning downgraded from a typhoon to a tropical storm as it approached the nation’s southwest coast, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, as it issued a land alert for the storm. The alert applies to residents in Tainan, Kaohsiung, Pingtung and Taitung counties, and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春). As of press time last night, Taichung, Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Yilan, Miaoli, Changhua, Yunlin, Pingtung and Penghu counties, as well as Chiayi city and county had
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday issued a sea alert for Typhoon Fung-wong (鳳凰) as it threatened vessels operating in waters off the Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島), the Bashi Channel and south of the Taiwan Strait. A land alert is expected to be announced some time between late last night and early this morning, the CWA said. As of press time last night, Taoyuan, as well as Yilan, Hualien and Penghu counties had declared today a typhoon day, canceling work and classes. Except for a few select districts in Taipei and New Taipei City, all other areas and city
SELF-DETERMINATION: German lawmakers add earth to an art installation in front of the Reichstag to show that the face of a nation lies with its people, Tsai Ing-wen said Taiwan’s future should be decided by Taiwanese, German-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group chairman Till Steffen said yesterday, while giving former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) a tour of the German parliament building. Tsai arrived in Berlin on Sunday and the following day delivered a keynote speech at the Berlin Freedom Conference titled “Threats facing democracies: Taiwan’s experience defending freedom.” Tsai yesterday attended a tea gathering at the Bundestag, joined by former friendship group chairman of 15 years Klaus-Peter Willsch, German defense affairs specialist Roderich Kiesewetter and Federal Ministry of Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth Parliamentary State Secretary Michael Brand. Noting that the
BOOST IN CONFIDENCE: The sale sends a clear message of support for Taiwan and dispels rumors that US President Donald Trump ‘sold out’ the nation, an expert said The US government on Thursday announced a possible sale to Taiwan of fighter jet parts, which was estimated to cost about US$330 million, in a move that an expert said “sends a clear message of support for Taiwan” amid fears that Washington might be wavering in its attitude toward Taipei. It was the first announcement of an arms sale to Taiwan since US President Donald Trump returned to the White House earlier this year. The proposed package includes non-standard components, spare and repair parts, consumables and accessories, as well repair and return support for the F-16, C-130 and Indigenous Defense Fighter aircraft,
RSS