The rioting in Xinjiang last week echoed violence in Tibet last year but, interestingly, the international reaction has been very different.

Last year, Western countries put pressure on Beijing to hold a dialogue with representatives of the Dalai Lama, with President Nicolas Sarkozy of France even threatening to boycott the Beijing Olympics if China refused. Beijing's protestations that Tibet was an internal Chinese affair were disregarded.

This time, however, the Western response is muted. The United States has adopted a mild tone with President Barack Obama merely calling on all parties "in Xinjiang to exercise restraint."