The Far West of China inhabited by Turkic speaking, Muslim nomads, the Uighurs and Uzbeks. It is on the ancient Silk Road (Kashgar) the trading route between ancient China and the Roman Empire until the time of Marco Polo. It was "independent" from 1933 to 1944 but in reality ruled by the Soviet Union and given to China after the formation of the Chinese People's Republic. Stalin called it East Turkestan. It is the frontier between the Central Asian culture of mainly Turkic Muslim states and the Chinese culture.

If the central government of China weakened its grip on the outlying areas the people have many grievances and might wish to join up with their compatriots across the border in the former Soviet Union. There was an attempted revolt in the past. The Turks are about 45% of the population.

At present (1997) it is uncertain whether they will achieve this. There is said to be a liberation movement, allegedly based in Turkey. There are also many Han Chinese settled in the region to prevent secession and a large occupation army. At the time of the death of Deng Xiao Ping there were riots by the Uighurs.

Xinjiang means New Border region. It has been known as Chinese Turkestan, also the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region. Under the former method of romanizing Chinese it was written Sinkiang.

Useful article by Prahag Khanna on the history of Chinese policy in Central Asia.

Chinese

Turkic languages

The resurgence of Muslim militancy in other parts of Central Asia may have affected the area. However the central government seems to have a strong grip on the province.

In July 2009 there are reports of riots and killings of immigrant (Han) Chinese by Uighurs.

What is likely to be the result of Uighur riots and uprising? The Government sent in massive reinforcements of troops to suppress the revolt. Is it likely to have been instigated from outside or is it the result of a long period of resentment at the way Chinese control everything, despite the Muslim Uighurs having an estimated 45% of the population of the province?

Eurasian Crossroads - James A. Millward

Oil and gas.

The area is an example of the effects of rapidly rising population. When the total Chinese population of the Empire was in the range of 400 million, relations with the Turkic majority were peaceful. But with the rise of the Chinese population to over 1000 million there is pressure to settle Han Chinese in the outer parts of the People's Republic. As in Indonesia where Javan settlers were sent to West Irian, this rouses opposition, which the government cannot allow itself to admit to.

Repression by Chinese security forces.