NEW FRONTIER

Discussion about the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China become increasingly popular among the international human rights organisations. They accuse Chinese authorities of oppressing the indigenous population of the region. Recently, Turkey joined the human rights defenders at the official level.

Turkic solidarity and terrorist threats

According to the spokesman of the Turkish Foreign Ministry, Hami Aksoy, million Uyghurs are living in concentration camps in China. Beijing protested to this statement and recalled that Turkey is also a multinational country facing the threat of terrorism and separatism.

Many years ago, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared he shares the fate of East Turkestan, another name of Chinese territories populated by Uyghurs. He views these lands one of the cradles of the Turkic ethnic group. Favourable conditions created for the Uyghurs in Turkey increased the number of Uyghurs in the country to several tens of thousands of people. In recent years, the number of Uyghurs has increased in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan neighbouring with Xinjiang, where the ideas of Turkic solidarity are quite strong.

Beijing explains its actions as purely defensive measures as part of the fight against terrorism. It claims that up to 2,000 Uyghur militants from the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) fought in the ranks of the terrorist Islamic State.

Chinese authorities are seriously afraid of Islamic militants and are taking unprecedented security measures, primarily in Xinjiang. However, Beijing has failed to secure a complete victory in the fight against terrorism due to a low level of literacy among the population and clandestine activity of Muslim preachers. In addition, the local population is dissatisfied with the policy of the Chinese authorities, which are strengthening the ethnic presence of the Han Chinese in Xinjiang and their privileges.

At the beginning of a new life

Substantive claims of the world community to China are the construction and operation in Xinjiang of the so-called re-education camps. Until recently, the Chinese authorities have been extremely reluctant to provide even some information about the camps. Human rights activists thus refer to the testimony of witnesses and argue that these camps, in fact, are camps for internees. It is claimed that even a slightest offense, such as wearing a beard or disagreement with government policies can take people to these camps. Beijing, on the other hand, claims that the main objective is to combat extremism through a mixture of legal disciplines, labour skills and teaching Chinese laws.

Since last year, the Chinese authorities have been organising tours to Xinjian for diplomats to confirm their position. Films made from these "camps" are intended to show the Chinese population and the international community the "charm" of learning and re-education. In reports broadcast by the Chinese television, "retrainees" regret their mistakes and speak of their readiness to "start a new life."

As part of tough measures to prevent terrorism and extremism, China has built about 40 such re-education camps in Xinjiang over the past five years. Period of re-education varies from several months to several years, depending on the degree of committed offense. Contrary to popular belief, Religion, China is not fighting against religion in Xinjiang. China declared religious freedom 30 years ago. Therefore, residents of the camps are explained that Islam is part of the great Chinese religion system. Local authorities report on success of re-education, such as the absence of terrorist attacks, improvement of security and stability of the region.

Surveillance systems

Complex measures of the Chinese government in Xinjiang is not limited to re-educating the population. For several years, Beijing has tested and approved a comprehensive technology to ensure surveillance over the population of the region.

Three years ago, the Chinese authorities announced that private and public face detection video tracking systems would be integrated into a common database that would completely cover the entire population by 2020. Xinjiang was selected as a pilot region: the majority of more than 20 million video cameras operating in the country are installed here. Today, it is not difficult for the Chinese police to identify and detain in the crowd any suspect whose facial complexion matches the data stored in the database. Such CCTV cameras are installed in groups of three to five pieces on the major roads and highways. Cameras recognise not only the car numbers, but also faces of drivers. Covering the face is regarded as an offense.

CEIEC, a state-run company providing security infrastructure for the Chinese government, has also introduced a geolocation system that allows tracking mobile phones. Entire population, as well as tourists entering the region, are obliged to install on their phone a special application that sends the device identifier, model and owner number to the police, and subsequently monitors all incoming information, indicating to the user that there is a dangerous content on the device.

The population of Xinjiang is also required to undergo certain procedures before traveling to other parts of China or abroad. At the same time, residents are obliged to provide samples of DNA, blood, fingerprints, as well as record their voices, scan the retina, and 3D images. This flow of information about citizens allows the authorities to maintain a system of rating. The so-called Social Credit System makes it possible to determine the loyalty of citizens, providing them with certain preferences in return. One can get a low rating for bank debts, road fines, and reprehensible behaviour on the Internet and smoking in public places, but you can raise your points by public activity, for example, donating blood. Higher rating allows a citizen to get discounts in public institutions, while with a low one, it is difficult to find a suitable job.

In general, total surveillance systems require large financial investments from the state, even with the relative cheapness of Chinese technologies. According to official sources, the cost of domestic security has already exceeded China’s defence spending. However, a successful investment brings its dividends. Having successfully implemented the tracking system in Xinjiang, China began to export breakthrough technology, for example, to Ecuador, which has close economic ties with the Middle Kingdom.

Window to Europe

The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region is half the size of Western Europe and is one sixth of China. The word Xinjiang means new frontier in Chinese. China finally annexed the territory in 1949. Over the centuries, various Chinese empires tried to establish control over the region four thousand kilometres away from the main Chinese centres mainly an economic reasons — it is the territory where the Great Silk Road runs. The region is going to assume the same role again becoming the central link in the One Belt - One Way project, the global Chinese infrastructure initiative, which should link the markets of China, the Middle East and Europe. That is why huge funds are flowing into the region. Over the past twenty years, Xinjiang’s infrastructure has changed beyond recognition. The area once known for caravans crossing it, today is the home for modern highways with tunnels and bridges. After bringing the road network on its territory to European standards, China began to subsidize construction of similar networks in neighbouring countries — a new railway will link Xinjiang with Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.

The capital of Xinjiang is Urumqi, an ultramodern industrial city with skyscrapers and a developed urban infrastructure. Most Chinese oil and gas is produced here. But the main attraction here is not oil, but shopping. Almost everything manufactured in numerous Chinese plants and factories located in various provinces is sold in Urumqi. Thanks to small traders and large trade companies, Chinese textile and technology travel to Russia, Central Asia and the Middle East.

By rapidly developing the region, Beijing is trying to increase the growth of the social level of the population and stabilize social processes. It is possible that soon we will witness a new economic miracle, and more specifically, the transformation of Xinjiang into a major trading hub on the Great Silk Road from Asia to Europe.