Senior leader calls to build "steel wall" in Xinjiang for stability

• Source: Xinhua
• [10:49 July 12 2009]
• Comments

Zhou Yongkang (L front), member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), shakes hands with a local Uygur farmer in Kashi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 11, 2009. Zhou started an inspection tour in Xinjiang on Thursday. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin)

Government and Communist Party departments at all levels in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region should rely on the people of all ethnic groups to build a "steel wall" for the region's stability to safeguard the interests of the people, senior Chinese leader Zhou Yongkang said here Saturday.

Zhou, a Standing Committee member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks on the third day of his visit to Xinjiang.

He is the first member of the Political Bureau Standing Committee to visit the region after the July 5 riot in Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang, which caused at least 184 deaths and injured over 1,000 others.

During his visit to Hotan and Kashgar, both in the southern part of Xinjiang, Zhou said the current situation in the region was "heading in a good direction."

But he warned that hostile forces from home and abroad would not give up easily. "They are attempting to stage more sabotage," he said.