sandeepdg
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New Delhi: India is reaching out to China's restive province of Xinjiang. Nur Bekri, chairman of Xinjiang province, will make his first visit to India early next week with a business delegation that is primarily aimed at assessing Indian interest in China's north-western province - both politically and economically.
Bekri will meet vice-president Hamid Ansari and other ministers and also address a CII business meeting. He will visit the Taj Mahal and travel to Mumbai. The interest in Bekri's visit stems from the unique position that Xinjiang occupies in China. The Muslim-majority Uighur population, which has, at various times, opposed the Han Chinese domination in Xinjiang, the only place where extremist Islamic radical groups have targeted the Chinese state.
On December 9, Chinese General Ma Xiaotian will hold the annual defence dialogue with Indian defence secretary: a sign that in this sector, Sino-India ties are back to a more normal level. Bilateral defence ties had gone through a rocky patch, when India cut off defence ties with China after the latter refused a visa to the Indian Northern area commander last year.
Earlier this year, militants attacked public places in Hotan and Kashgar in Xinjiang province, setting fire and killing many people. In Kashgar, the government blamed the attacks on the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), saying one of the men who had been caught had confessed that some of leaders of the group had trained in Pakistan in bomb-making and weapons handling and had returned to carry out terrorist attacks. This was the first time an accusation has been made against Pakistan, traditionally a close ally of China. The incident brought the Pakistan president and half its leadership to China to reassure Beijing.
Analysts say, while China's closeness with Pakistan will continue, Islamabad's support for Islamic radical groups may make things difficult for both of them to go forward. Recent reports suggest that China has asked Pakistan for permission to set up military bases in the FATA regions, so they can monitor Uighur camps better. There is no confirmation from China on this.
Xinjiang leader to visit India next week - The Times of India
Bekri will meet vice-president Hamid Ansari and other ministers and also address a CII business meeting. He will visit the Taj Mahal and travel to Mumbai. The interest in Bekri's visit stems from the unique position that Xinjiang occupies in China. The Muslim-majority Uighur population, which has, at various times, opposed the Han Chinese domination in Xinjiang, the only place where extremist Islamic radical groups have targeted the Chinese state.
On December 9, Chinese General Ma Xiaotian will hold the annual defence dialogue with Indian defence secretary: a sign that in this sector, Sino-India ties are back to a more normal level. Bilateral defence ties had gone through a rocky patch, when India cut off defence ties with China after the latter refused a visa to the Indian Northern area commander last year.
Earlier this year, militants attacked public places in Hotan and Kashgar in Xinjiang province, setting fire and killing many people. In Kashgar, the government blamed the attacks on the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), saying one of the men who had been caught had confessed that some of leaders of the group had trained in Pakistan in bomb-making and weapons handling and had returned to carry out terrorist attacks. This was the first time an accusation has been made against Pakistan, traditionally a close ally of China. The incident brought the Pakistan president and half its leadership to China to reassure Beijing.
Analysts say, while China's closeness with Pakistan will continue, Islamabad's support for Islamic radical groups may make things difficult for both of them to go forward. Recent reports suggest that China has asked Pakistan for permission to set up military bases in the FATA regions, so they can monitor Uighur camps better. There is no confirmation from China on this.
Xinjiang leader to visit India next week - The Times of India
