Brushing aside condemnation from Western powers, China’s leader, Xi Jinping, called his policies in the ethnically divided region of Xinjiang a "totally correct” success, and vowed more efforts to imprint Chinese national identity "deep in the soul” of Uighurs and other largely Muslim minorities.
Xi made the remarks during a two-day conference that ended Saturday, which is likely to set the direction of Chinese policy in Xinjiang for years to come. While the initial official summary of the meeting gave few details, Xi’s unyielding words signaled that condemnation from the United States, the European Union and other powers has not shifted his determination to subdue Xinjiang’s Muslim minorities through a dual strategy of political indoctrination and state-driven demographic change.
"Viewed overall, Xinjiang is enjoying a favorable setting of social stability with the people living in peace and contentment,” Xi told the meeting, according to the summary issued by Xinhua News Agency. "The facts have abundantly demonstrated that our national minority work has been a success.”