Spending on security-related construction tripled in 2017 in China's far-western region of Xinjiang, where Beijing is accused of detaining as many as 1 million ethnic Uighurs and other Muslims, an academic analysis of government expenditure found.
Beijing says its "vocational training centers" in Xinjiang camps teach employment skills and legal knowledge aimed at curbing religious extremism.
The report published Monday by U.S. think tank the Jamestown Foundation examined official Chinese government budget data and found spending on security-related construction in Xinjiang rose last year by nearly 20 billion yuan ($2.90 billion), or 213 percent.