Xinhua Network News Xinjiang Channel 新华网新疆频道

• 9 December 2007: Xinjiang will hopefully have two new national-level geographical parks in the near future. Tuomuer Canyon in Wensu County and Tianshan Canyon in Kuche County, both of Aksu prefecture, recently were submitted to the National Resources Department as potential National Park Candidates. Representatives from the NRD investigated both sites at the end of October and a ruling on the status of the two parks is expected to be announced shortly.

• 9 December 2007: Over 16 million yuan will be invested for the protection and preservation of the Silk Road’s oldest military installation, the Keziergaha Watchtower, as well as nearby grottoes containing Buddhist frescoes. The Keziergaha Watchtower (whose name is ancient Turkic for “Red Checkpoint”) was built sometime during the Han Dynasty and was part of a network of towers that stretched all the way to Changan. The nearby Buddhist grottoes were constructed sometime in the 5th century. The investment will go into protection projects such as a workstation, weather monitoring equipment, and restoration work.

• 10 December 2007: Epic rescue operations have been carried out to rescue a crippled camel discovered by a research expedition in the Lop Nur Wild Camel Reserve on the 1st of December. After tracking the injured camel for several days, food, salt, and antibiotics were brought out to the camel on the 7th; on the 8th, a crew ventured into the wild and with the help of tranquilizers this crew managed to load the camel into a truck, by which it was brought to a veterinary clinic in Ruoqiang. Treatment was given to the wild camel in Ruoqiang until arrangements were made to transport the camel to the Tianshan Wildlife Reserve center for more extensive treatment.

• 11 December 2007: According to the National Statistics Bureau’s Xinjiang Investigation Team, the consumer price index rose 9.7% over the month of November. Prices for consumer goods continue rising.

• 11 December 2007: During a highway building project, construction workers unearthed a cemetery whose contents include 2400 year old wheat stalks that still maintain a golden hue. The wheat is projected to have been buried sometime around the Warring States period or the Qin dynasty, and strongly imply that at the time the Turpan basin had a highly developed wheat agricultural base.

• 11 December 2007: Two days of continuous fog caused the delay or cancellation of over 200 flights at Urumqi International Airport. The fog reduced visibility to 200 meters, below acceptable operating standards. The fog departed on the 10th and normal operations were reinstated at around 12:30.

• 12 December 2007: The regional output value of the XUAR increased 12% over the last year, which is a new high when compared to the economic performance of the last 12 years. Following this general economic growth, average yearly disposable income for residents of cities and townships surpassed the 10 thousand yuan benchmark and monthly income for rural areas surpassed 3000 yuan. An employee of the regional statistics bureau warned that although industries are improving across the board and incomes are rising, Xinjiang still faces rising prices and widespread sanitation problems in the food production industry.

• 12 December 2007: The National Power Grid Corporation has invested 2.1 billion yuan into the construction of power converting stations and coal mines in the eastern part of the Junggar Basin, where an estimated 370 billion tons of coal await extraction. Xinjiang is playing an increasingly important role in China’s energy infrastructure as the demand for more energy resources rises with China’s prospering economy.

• 12 December 2007: This year, 200 thousand high school graduates did not continue on to higher education. The regional government intends to see the silver lining of this situation by mobilizing massive integrated vocational education programs to provide high school graduates with occupational skills useful to Xinjiang’s burgeoning industries.

• 12 December 2007: Officers with the Railway Police recently shutdown a counterfeit train ticket operation in Urumqi. A railway worker discovered a passenger with a fake ticket on the 8th, which triggered investigations. Soon after, two more passengers were found with fake tickets and after examination, all three tickets were judged as coming from the same source. Further investigations lead police to Urumqi’s Midong New Neighborhood, where two suspects were arrested and over 20 thousand yuan worth of fake tickets were confiscated.

• 13 December 2007: In an ironic twist to the well-known bystander effect, two brave gentlemen did respond to the pleas of help coming from a damsel being mugged by two thugs… but after the two thugs were subdued and brought to the local police station, the victim was nowhere to be found, this providing no legal basis whatsoever to set up a case against the two muggers, especially after the muggers began making counter-accusations against the two vigilantes, saying they were the innocent, assaulted victims. After hearing calls for help while walking back to his unit, PLA soldier Nueraili dashed to the rescue and took down two robbers who were in the process of chasing a woman down the street. Eventually the three of them fell to the ground in a scuffle, whereupon the victim and another woman started shouting for someone to help the outnumbered Nueraili. Another upstanding citizen, Zhang Junxin, joined the fray and eventually the two heroes were able to overcome the criminals and bring them to the local police station. Unfortunately, since the two witnesses left, there was no way for officers to establish a criminal case and investigation, and now Nueraili and Zhang Junxin are facing accusations of assault by the foiled criminals. In order to “carry out justice,” the police stations have begun a publicity campaign on behalf of the two vigilantes, urging the two witnesses to come forward to resolve the case.

• 13 December 2007: Since its inauguration in 2005, the “Sunshine Project” has provided around 6000 farmers and herders with occupational skills. As part of the ongoing effort to provide rural residents with the skills necessary to make a decent living in modernizing Xinjiang, the “Sunshine Project” offers vocational training in a number of fields, including electric work, computers, culinary arts, weaving, farm equipment repair, driving, and tourism service.

• 13 December 2007: The regional Health Department has released statistics regarding epidemic diseases in Xinjiang for the month of November. There are currently 13976 cases of “Type B” diseases in Xinjiang, an increase of 19.89% when compared to the same time period last year. Type B diseases include hepatitis A, measles, whooping cough, and mumps. Experts ascribe last month’s increase to both the arrival of these diseases’ “high season” and a lack of adequate sanitary conditions in schools and neighborhoods.

• 13 December 2007: The fifth meeting of the seventh regional party committee was held in Urumqi on the 11th and the 12th, with Regional Party Secretary Wang Lequan and Regional Chairman Ismail Tiliwaldi making summarizing statements. The rhetorical focus of the meeting was the start of a “new history” for Xinjiang, a time of unprecedented opportunities whose advantages should be reaped to the fullest extent.

• 13 December 2007: Total cotton production for Xinjiang, China’s largest cotton base, is expected to reach 2.7 million tons by the end of the year, setting yet another annual record.

• 13 December 2007: A comprehensive 20-year plan for the restoration and renovation of the Tomb of Abakh Khoja (or the Tomb of the Fragrant Concubine) and the Id Kah mosque has been submitted to the local government for examination and approval. The first phase of this long term plan consists of reinforcing the foundations of both structures and implementing fire prevention and earthquake-resistant engineering projects on the buildings and the surrounding neighborhoods. One sentence in the Xinhua article also notes that structures near these cultural sites deemed “detrimental” to their preservation will be demolished as a part of this plan.

• 13 December 2007: The Flying Tigers are maintaining their historical winning streak now that they have played every team once and are now facing CBA opponents for the second time in the season. The Flying Tigers defeated Shaanxi, Jilin, and Liaoning once more in three away games, then defeated Shandong at home on the 9th. Tension mounted on the days leading up to the Flying Tigers’ epic showdown with their season rival, the Jiangsu Dragons, who defeated the Flying Tigers in Jiangsu on the 7th of November. This time, however, the Flying Tigers won, 108-90, bestowing the nickname of “Devil Court” on their Urumqi stadium, seeing that they have yet to see a loss on their home turf.

• 14 December 2007: The second stage of the China-Kazakhstan pipeline has officially begun. The second stage is expected to reach completion on 1 October 2009 and will stretch from Kenjiyake to Kumkol, which both are located within Kazakhstan. Eventually the pipeline will reach the port of Alashankou on the Chinese side of the Kazakh-Chinese border, where crude oil can be delivered to China’s internal pipeline system. Upon completion, this pipeline is expected to deliver 20 million tons annually from the Caspian Sea to the PRC.
• 14 December 2007: The fifth XPCC Party Committee held its 10th meeting on the 13th, during which the XPCC secretary Nie Weiguo outlined the goals of the XPCC for the upcoming years. The XPCC’s lofty goals include studying and implementing the spirit of the 17th National People’s Congress, intensifying the opening and reform policies, continue generating new systems and ideas to implement XPCC policies, accelerate economic structural adjustments, build up the “three agricultural bases” and the “main six industries,” push forward the “new industrialization,” modernize agriculture and continue urbanization so as to improve lives and promote social harmony, and to make the XPCC a model unit in constructing an affluent society in China’s northwest. Piece of cake.
• 14 December 2007: The 2007-2008 Xinjiang Economic and Social Situation Analysis and Forecast Bluebook has been released by the Xinjiang Social Sciences Institute. The Bluebook predicts that over the following year, Xinjiang’s GDP will increase by 11.65%, and that consumer prices will increase by 4%, particularly in the upcoming 9 months where increases will be solidly above the national average. Foodstuffs are expected to see a particularly high rise of 9.1%. The combined GDP of the Urumqi-Changji area will account for 1/3 of Xinjiang’s total GDP and generate over 40% of the region’s fiscal revenue, solidly pinning it as the region’s economic center and powerhouse. The Bluebook also forecasts detrimental imbalances in water resource management, Xinjiang’s transportation system, and comparative economic development between North and South Xinjiang, as well as an increase in regional income disparities.
• 14 December 2007: XUAR Chairman Ismail Tiliwaldi announced that this year’s total crude oil production is expected to hit 26 million tons, a 5.5% increase compared with last year’s crude oil production. Xinjiang thus remains the top oil producer in China for the 18th consecutive year.
• 15 December 2007: Starting from next year, Turpan’s Astana tombs will have a comprehensive “early warning system” to prevent grave robbers from looting the site. The Regional Cultural Artificats Protection Committee invested 4.85 million yuan for the Astana Tomb Security Program, which officially began construction work in the past few days. The system is expected to be completed by April 2008 and will include intruder detection systems, closed circuit TV monitoring systems, and an accompanying control center. The article sets aside a special paragraph to point out the precedent of tomb pillaging set by European and Japanese explorers in the 19th century.

Other News

• 10 December 2007: Dominic Barton at the Financial Times contends that the infrastructure for a new industrial Silk Road has been laid over the past several years; Xinjiang of course represents one of this new trade route’s most important hubs.
• 10 December 2007: China View runs an English language version of the Xinhua article describing delays at the Urumqi airport caused by heavy fog.

Blogs

• 14 December 2007: Michael discusses some statistics he found regarding Chinese name length and Xinjiang.
• 15 December 2007: The KSA Daily makes some observations about the paucity of literature on the Uyghur language, which ironically makes the pool of authors quite accessible to those in Xinjiang.

Xinhua Network News Xinjiang Channel 新华网新疆频道

• 18 November 2008: The Regional Health Department has announced the launch of the “Peaceful Hospitals” campaign. The Xinhua article mentions that in the past few years there has been an unacceptable deterioration of doctor-patient relationships in Xinjiang, with a few incidents resulting in medical workers receiving injuries (the article does not elaborate on these curious events). In order to rectify a “lack of proper confidence and understanding between doctors and patients,” the Health Department a small committee to coordinate efforts aimed at “strengthening medical service principles, improving the quality of medical treatment, establishing harmonious doctor-patient relations, resolving doctor-patient disputes, strengthening the hospital security systems, safeguarding order in hospitals, launching reform efforts, and building an overall healthy hospital environment.”
• 18 November 2008: A dramatic armed carjacking occurred in Urumqi on the 16th. This incident, which took place in broad daylight at the Xingguang Market （星光夜市）on Mashi Lane （马市巷）involved 3 carjackers stealing a white automobile after forcefully removing the driver and one occupant. According to eye-witness reports and testimonies from the victims, as the victims were waiting in their vehicle, one carjacker entered the car through the side door and sat in the passenger seat, while the other two opened the two rear doors and sat down in the backseats. One brandished a gun as the others handcuffed the occupant in the back. Eventually, they ejected the occupants and began to drive off, whereupon the victims decided somehow that the best course of action would be to try to stop the carjackers by standing in their vehicle’s path. They became the first and only casualties of the carjacking after the vehicle collided with them, though the victims’ intervention efforts did cause the carjackers to crash into two other vehicles on their way out. The two victims were immediately sent to the hospital for minor injuries, and the robbery is being intensively examined with special fervor by the police’s criminal investigation unit because of the involvement of firearms.
• 19 November 2007: The Regional Forestry Department announced renewed planning efforts to prevent and control desertification in Southern Xinjiang, specifically in the region known as the “Three Prefectures,” Khotan Prefecture, Kashgar Prefecture, and Kizilsu Kyrgyz Autonomous Prefecture. The goal of these efforts is to raise further funds for the ongoing biological and non-biological projects aimed at staving off the continuing encroachment of the Taklamakan Desert into these areas.
• 19 November 2007: China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan have jointly submitted a list of “Silk Road” cultural sites to the UNESCO as candidates for this year’s selection of World Heritage Sites. China’s candidates are: Jiaohe Ancient City, Gaochang Ancient City, Bezekilk Grottoes, Astana Tombs, Tuyuk Grottoes, and Taicang Tower in Turpan; the Ancient City of Loulan in the Bayingholin Prefecture; Subash Ruins, Kizil Grottoes, Kumutala Grottoes, and Senmusaimu Grottoes in Aksu Prefecture; Mahmut al-Kashgari’s tomb in Kashgar Prefecture; and the ancient ruins of Niya in Khotan prefecture. The final inspection committees for UNESCO will visit these sites next August.
• 19 November 2007: According to the latest observations, there are 13 pregnant mares among the wild horses in the Qaramay Wildlife Preserve.
• 19 November 2007: The first batch of over a thousand demobilized soldiers of the Xinjiang Military Region departed from Urumqi to return to their original hometowns. Xinjiang’s Vice-Chairman, Gupaer Abibula , along with the Vice-Chairman of Daily Affiars and several of the Xinjiang Military Region’s top brass all saw the soldiers off and thanked them for the work they did in developing and stabilizing Xinjiang.
• 19 November 2007: Urumqi’s Labor and Social Security Bureau began a special investigative program that will examine the income and pay situations of migrant workers employed in the metropolitan area. The investigation, which started on the 16th and will last until January 16th will look into the hiring and processing of migrant workers and how companies meet the workers’ basic needs such as food and drink. The investigation will focus on the construction and coal mining industries, and will also handle the reporting, fining, and punishment of companies that do not meet the proper standards.
• 19 November 2007: According to statistics published by Urumqi’s Municipal Government General Office, of the “10 Western Provincial Capitals,” Urumqi ranks 4th in per capita disposable income, after Hohhot, Chengdu, and Xi’an. Urumqi’s per capital disposable income was calculated at 8701 yuan (vs. 12,024 Hohhot, 10,833 Chengdu, and 9723 Xi’an).
• 19 November 2007: According to China’s National Observatory, one of the best places to observe August 1, 2008 total eclipse will be the grasslands of Barkol Kazakh Autonomous County in northeast Xinjiang (See in Google Earth). The local government has already begun planning for huge festivities in the grasslands on the day of the eclipse. Bring your own tent.
• 20 November 2007: A 220 thousand kilowatt power grid was opened at Kashgar on the 16th. XUAR Chairman Ismail Tiliwaldi was present at the opening ceremony and pressed the button activating the grid himself. The power grid represents yet another node in an ongoing high-level construction product started in 1988 with the goal of supplying a steady source of electric power to all of Xinjiang.
• 21 November 2007: The 34th meeting of the 10th National People’s Congress Regional Standing Committee opened on the morning of the 20th. Three lectures were heard, one on how XUAR can implement national flood control measures, another on promoting the use of a different type of walling material (??), and the third on the preservation of non-matierial culture in Xinjiang. Many affirmations were made to implement the policies established at the 17th National Congress.
• 21 November 2007: Ever wonder why Urumqi’s air is infamous for its pollution? Perhaps its been the coalfield fire that has been blazing away for the last several years! A small article on Xinhua states that a fire in the coal fields of Sulfur Valley (delightful name, 硫磺沟 – its a small township located just southwest of Urumqi. See Sulfur Valley in Google Earth) was finally extinguished recently. Soon afterwards, Xinjiang’s second largest coalfield fire in Tielieke township, Aksu prefecture (See in Google Earth), also was extinguished on the 19th of this month, after four years of vigilant management. At its largest extent, the fire at Tielieke covered over 923 thousand square meters. The fire is estimated to have destroyed 1.8 million tons of coal.
• 21 November 2007: Starting from December, all public toilet signs in Urumqi will fall under one integrated system of standards. Apparently, due to the lack of standards, public toilet signs all over Urumqi are hung in inappropriate or hidden places with vague and unhelpful directions (anyone from Urumqi who wants to testify to this situation, by all means, comment and share). In order to rectify this unacceptable situation, the Urumqi Municipal Scrap Management Center (any volunteers for a better translation of 废弃物管理中心?) held several discussion meetings and finally came up with a standardized system of signs that is eagerly expected to raise the overall standards of public toilets all over Urumqi. Urumqiliqs, prepare to say au revoir to the quaint British rendition of 公共厕所 to “WC.” Now it’s all rendered as the much less flattering “toilet.”
• 22 November 2007:Urumqi’s Political and Law Department has publicized a rising trend over the past year of pregnant and breastfeeding women selling and trafficking drugs. Currently the courts are examining 20 drug cases involving women which altogether involve 33 female suspects, 10 of whom are either pregnant or breastfeeding. The article notes that this trend is just one part of a larger, alarming growth of drug trafficking in general in Urumqi, particularly of heroin. The relevant governmental departments are currently holding discussions on how to handle these unprecedented criminal cases, particular in regards to the handling of the suspects’ children.
• 22 November 2007: The National Safety Supervision Head Office has published a list of 28 Xinjiang coal mines that will be closed by the end of the year for failure to comply with safety standards.
• 22 November 2007: The Meteorological Bureaus of Kashgar and Khotan have recently resolved two cases of international meteorological mystery and intrigue. Right after the resolution in August of a case of illegal weather monitoring by the Japanese in Hami Prefecture, two illegal atmospheric monitoring stations were discovered, one in Tuopuluke Village (Yengisar County, Kashgar Prefecture) and one in Luopu County (Khotan Prefecture), this time built by an American company, the Xinjiang-Pacific Agricultural Resources Development Corporation (新疆太平洋农业资料开发). According to the article, automatic weather monitoring equipment had been operating for over year when discovered by authorities in September 2006. Though the equipment was built on land owned by the company, the monitoring was conducted without the proper permission and certifications. The Meteorological Burueaus of the two prefectures have concluded their investigation and will confiscate all illegally obtained data from the XPARDC, tear down their facilities, and fine them Y10,000. The article notes that unique weather data acquired in the vicinity of the Tibet-Qinghai Plateau is valuable in thermal-conductivity research and thus provides incentives for clandestine monitoring by foreign firms.
• 22 November 2007: Xinjiang’s Flying Tigers continue their unprecedented performance in the CBA. After suffering an away defeat to the number 1 Guangdong Tigers in Zhongshan on the 16th (93-104), the Flying Tigers slipped past the Dongguan Cheetahs in an away game on the 18th (107-100), then defeated Shanxi on the 21st (114-88) and the Beijing Ducks on the 23rd (105-73) in Urumqi. The Flying Tigers are still ranked 3rd in the league after the Guangdong Tigers and the Jiangsu Dragons, although all three of these teams have a record of 10 victories and 2 defeats (I give mad props to whoever named the Beijing team… good sense of humor).
• 22 November 2007: China Southern Airlines will begin regular flights between Urumqi and Ashgabat on 12/18. Flight CZ6015 leaves Urumqi every Tuesday and Saturday at 22:10 Beijing Time, arriving at Ashgabat 3.7 hours later. Flight CZ6016 leaves Ashgabat every Wednesday and Sunday at 3:40 Beijing Time. Once this route opens, Xinjiang will be connected to all five Central Asian states.
• 22 November 2007: A lengthy special report lauds the XPCC’s efforts in building and protecting “green ecologies” in Xinjiang’s arid climate. The report is divided into three sections. The first describes a string of Bingtuan Farms that form a “green belt” between the Taklamakan Desert on the West and the Kumtag Desert on the East. The second section describes similar efforts along the Tianshan Mountains at the southern edge of the Gurbantunggut Desert and the northern edge of the Taklamakan. The final section discusses the XPCC’s most recent efforts to employ high-tech equipment to convert arid and semi-arid ecologies into irrigated, farmable land.
• 22 November 2007: Adelihan, a 62 year-old Kazakh herdsman from Fuhai County, Altai Prefecture, lauds the local Pastoral Settlement Program as a blessing which “has broken up the difficulties our people have faced for thousands of years.” Last year, Adelihan received 26 thousand yuan worth of subsidies and was able to use the funds to construct a house, a place to store fodder, and a winter enclosure for his livestock, thus obviating the need to perform the arduous annual migrations he undertook as a youth. Local governments receiving funding from the Pastoral Settlement Project and the Earthquake-Proof Low-Income Housing Project and in turn distribute them to eligible herders. In Altai, 8114 Kazakh households enjoy benefits similar to Adelihan. The project aims to settle 60% of the Kazakh herders in the Altai region before the end of the 11th 5 year plan.
• 23 November 2007: The “Bright Future for the Silk Road Construction Project,” jointly funded and carried about by the Netherlands and China, has been completed over five years since the projects inauguration in January of 2002. The project was designed to resolve the lack of electricity for many families living in Xinjiang’s more remote agricultural and pastoral regions by providing and installing solar power equipment in these areas. The project’s funds totaled over 22.9 million euros, 60% of which was provided by the Dutch government and 40% of which was provided by China. The project successfully supplied electricity to over 65,000 families. XUAR Chariman Ismail Tiliwaldi and the Dutch ambassador to China attended a ceremony celebrating the completion of the project.
• 23 November 2007: The remains of Chen Xifu, who according to the article was “an outstanding member of the communist party, [and] an ardent warrior for the principles of communism,” were honored in a ceremony in Urumqi. Many prominent figures in the regional government and party attended. Chen joined the CCP in 1939 at the tender age of 15. Chen’s participation in wartime and revolutionary activities eventually brought him to Xinjiang, where we would eventually serve a number of increasingly important administrative roles, from the Kashgar Military District’s Confidential Affairs Vice-Section Chief to the Vice-Director of the Regional Standing Committee. Chen passed away in Beijing on the 16th at the age of 83. More information on Chen can be found in Mandarin at the link.
• 23 November 2007: The Kizilsu Kirghiz Autonomous Prefecture experienced 3 earthquakes in rapid succession on the 22nd, at 8:16, 8:18, and 8:22. These three earthquakes registered as a 3, 4.1, and 3 on the Richter Scale, respectively. Although there were no casualties, the earthquakes were easily noticed by people in the vicinity.
• 23 November 2007: Thanks to an intricate network of high-tech weather station, the Xinjiang Oil Company has prevented over 200 million yuan worth of losses to weather-related calamities in its Qaramay Oilfields. Before the 1990s, the Qaramay Oilfields would lose 8000 tons of oil every year to disasters caused by adverse weather conditions, particularly lightning striking oil refining equipment at inopportune times, causing explosions and fires. After installing an interconnected system of weather monitoring systems throughout its oilfields, however, the company’s annual oil losses have been reduced to less than 3000 tons every year, since weather conditions around the fields are now being actively monitored and the proper precautions are taken when dangerous weather threatens facilities.
• 24 November 2007: The Urumqi Police Department resolved 3 major criminal cases in the past few weeks.
  • The first occurred at noon on the 16th, when three suspects posing as policemen subdued and “arrested” three shoppers with fake guns after accusing them of using counterfeit money. After forcing the victims into their vehicle, the suspects demanded a Y10,000 fine from each. While waiting for the first victim to retrieve the money from his apartment, the other two victims managed to escape the vehicle, upon which the three suspects also decided to flee. Five days after the victims reported the incident to the real police, all three perpetrators were arrested.
  • A 15 year-old girl was kidnapped on the 20th and was held hostage for a Y30,000 ransom. After the police were contacted, a rapid investigation revealed that the perpetrators were holding their hostage in a Changji hotel. The next day, the hotel was raided, the hostage was safely retrieved, and the three kidnappers were arrested.
  • A woman was murdered and robbed after withdrawing money from the bank on the 21st. The perpetrator tailed the woman after she withdrew the money, eventually shooting her and stealing the 10,000 yuan and other items the woman had with her at the time. The police conducted a rapid investigation, and on the second day the perpetrator was arrested along with a homemade pistol (!!!!), 4 bullets, and the woman’s stolen items
• 24 November 2007: As part of its spirited campaign to reduce unacceptably high levels of pollutions plaguing the metropolitan area, Urumqi has decided to ban outdoor barbecue vendors in four city center neighborhoods. That’s right, folks. Incomplete but already conclusive investigations have revealed that the impure byproducts of the barbecuing process (e.g. soot and smoke?) constitute a significant part of Urumqi’s air pollution problem. Starting from the 22nd, barbecue vendors in the above-mentioned neighborhoods will, with the assistance of authorities, begin to migrate their equipment indoors. In the future these vendors are also expected to install soot-minimizing equipment to their barbecues or switch to alternate sources of heat such as natural gas or liquid gas. A limited number of outdoor barbecues will be permitted in these neighborhoods, but only in certain authorized areas and with equipment meeting emission standards.

Other News

• 21 November 2007: More coverage of the historical victory of the epic coal fire mentioned above can be found here at China View and here at the Times Online. These English-language articles add more juicy tidbits to the firefighting saga. For example, the fire at Tielieke had been burning since the 1950s, has released more than 70,000 tons of toxic gas annually since it started, and was finally vanquished by drilling holes to the underground fields and stuffing them with water and slurry.
• 23 November 2007: An article written by a Times Online correspondent in Khotan describes the effect of the recently instated mandatory background checks for Muslim candidates interested in joining the Haj. Interested participants must now demonstrate a personal history free of criticism of the PRC and separatist tendencies before being permitted to journey to Mecca.

Blogs

• 21 November 2007: Michael at The Opposite End of China wonders if criticism of the annual ritual of cotton-picking students in Xinjiang is valid or is a knee-jerk criticism of a genuine character-building activity.

Xinhua Network News Xinjiang Channel 新华网新疆频道

• 11 November 2007: Jimusaer County (see in Google Earth) adds to the recent national park frenzy (see Sayram Lake National Wetlands Park and Kanas Geological Park) by carrying out an extensive refurbishment and improvement of the Sandbank Ecological Park, Xinjiang’s largest desert park. In the first stage of construction, 15.8 million yuan will go into a shelterbelt, an Ethnic Garden (民族特色风情园), and sand-faring and amphibious tour vehicles. In the second stage, 600 million yuan will go into making desert pastures, a botanical research center, and a wildlife viewing area.
• 12 November 2007: In order to the continue the development of bilingual education throughout Xinjiang, the regional Financial Department has allocated 70.39 million yuan to be used primarily in Kashgar, Khotan, and 7 “pastoral regions.” The money will mostly serve as subsidies to offset costs for tuition and school items and to assist in paying the incomes of participating teachers.
• 12 November 2007: As a part of this year’s effort to prevent severe air pollution over the winter, the city of Urumqi has created a “Redlist-Blacklist” system of incentives to encourage heating companies to abide by environmental regulations. Companies that violate these regulations (for example, by improperly disposing of sulfur-contaminated water, or due to a boiler accident that damages the factory’s environmental protection equipment) are placed on the publicly viewable black list, while companies that consistently uphold environmental protection are honored on the red list. Other than losing or gaining face, the article does not mention any other repercussions or rewards for being on either list.
• 12 November 2007: After a November 7 loss (104-87) to the Jiangsu Dragons in Nanjing and a home victory (115-104) against the Shanghai Sharks on November 9, the Flying Tigers rallied at home on November 11 and toppled the number 1 ranked juggernaut, the Ba Yi Rockets (116-106).
• 13 November 2007: The former director of the Regional Health Department’s Office of Financial Planning, Chen Jianguo, was sentences to 10 years imprisonment and stripped of his political rights for one year for corruption. On 16 separate occasions from 2002 to 2005, Chen accepted bribes totaling over 330 thousand yuan.
• 13 November 2007: Kanas Geological Park has closed for the winter season and the park management has completed its statistical snapshot of the this year’s tourist season. This year the park saw 929 thousand tourists, 50 million yuan from ticket sales, and 730 million yuan from general tourist revenue.
• 13 November 2007: Mother nature reminds us that Xinjiang is a geological hotspot by sending a magnitude 4.6 earthquake to Luopu County (earthquake epicenter in Google Earth) on the southern rim of the Tarim Basin. There were no casualties.
• 14 November 2007: A new international passenger route between Xinjiang and Mongolia was officially opened on October 28. The route is between Qinghe County in Xinijang and Burgan, which is located in Mongolia’s Khovd Province (see route in Google Earth). The international route between these two locations was original established in 1992, but was closed due to insufficient passenger numbers and unacceptable road conditions. A renewed interest in the route and road repairs have helped bring about this year’s reopening. (Hat tip to Michael at The Opposite End of China for alerting me of this exciting new find).
  
• 14 November 2007: The Management of Safety Production Goals Meeting convened on the morning of the 13th and commissioned 6 Inspection Teams that will travel throughout Xinjiang investigating safety standards in spheres ranging from coal mining to traffic to fire prevention.
• 14 November 2007: The dates of the 34th meeting of the XUAR 10th Standing Committee has been set from the 20th to the 23rd of November.
• 14 November 2007: The success of the “Deliver Warmth and Compassion with One Day’s Wages” program has prompted Xinjiang’s party organs to declare November “Donation Month,” with the hope that donation efforts in subsequent Novembers will continue to aid low-income residents of Xinjiang battle the imminent cold weather.
• 14 November 2007: Surgeons of the Aksu’s Number 1 People’s Hospital’s Gynecological Department have successfully removed a 30 kg (66 lbs) ovarian tumor from a 55 year old woman. The patient, who hails from Wushi County, discovered that she had a 6.7 inch diameter tumor two years ago, but was unable to treat it for economic reasons. This year, within a period of two months, the tumor experienced abnormally rapid growth, giving the patient a waist circumference of 149 cm (58.6 inches). The new growth affected her daily living so much that she decided to visit Aksu, and on arrival doctors sent her immediately to the operating table, which implies that the patient had the ironic fortune of having an ailment so bad the doctors would treat it for its own sake, in spite of the costs involved.
• 14 November 2007: A six member international team for the Xinjiang Przewalski’s Horses Propagation Research Center has hired 3 Kazakhs to track wild horses in the Qaramay Mountains Ungulate Natural Reserve during the winter season on the Center’s behalf. Kazakh nomadic herders migrate with their flocks to the mountain pastures of the reserve during the winter, making them the most likely candidates for monitoring wild horses. The three choices chosen from 128 candidates, and all are around 30 years old and have enough education as to be able to submit written progress reports to the Center.
• 15 November 2007: The preliminary stages of a project to build a protective structure over the ruins of an ancient Buddhist temple in Jimusaer county have been completed. Beiting’s “West Temple” was constructed sometime between the 11th and 13th century and at that time served as a prominent center for Buddhist art. Preserved at the ruins are a number of Buddhist figures and frescoes.
• 15 November 2007: A punitive element has been added to efforts to help protect and conserve Przewalski’s horses in Northern Xinjiang. Drivers involved in collisions with wild horses face up to 810 thousand yuan in fines. Przewalski’s horses are classified as level one protected wildlife, and according to wildlife protection laws, their “value” is to be calculated as 12.5 times whatever administrative costs are spent to protect them – which under current calculations is 65 thousand renminbi. There have been 5 collisions in the past 8 months, and in response the Forestry Police posted a 20 thousand yuan reward for any information leading to the arrest of the hit-and-run drivers. After the reward was posted, three drivers have been arrested.
• 15 November 2007: The Flying Tigers defeated the Fujian SBS team in Urumqi on the 15th, 110 – 91.
• 16 November 2007: According to statistical data from the Regional Foreign Trade Department, the total value of foreign trade for the past 10 months has surpassed 1 billion American dollars in 5 regions: Urumqi ($2.96 billion, an increase of 61.2% compared with last year), Yili Prefecture ($1.92 billion, 3.3% increase), Changji Prefecture ($1.74 billion, 100.4% increase), Bortala Prefecture ($1.52 billion, 13.4% increase), and, for the first time, Kashgar Prefecture ($1.05 billion, 300% increase).
• 16 November 2007: Xinhua Xinjiang issues a “special report” on XUAR’s Chairman, Ismail Tiliwaldi, which includes some biographical details and information on Tiliwaldi’s philosophy when it comes to governing Xinjiang. The main points of the report can be summarized in its title: Development, stability, and harmony have all along been the primary pursuits of Xinjiang.
• 16 November 2007: This year, the total value of foreign trade imports and exports surpassed 10 billion US dollars, a milestone which Xinhua attributes to Xinjiang’s superior geographic location and abundant natural resources. Xinjiang by far is a net exporter: exports amounted to $8.57 billion, whereas imports totaled almost $2 billion.
• 17 November 2007: As a part of its National “Building the Future: CCB’s Maturation Plan for Providing Financial Aid to Low-Income High School Students” project, the China Construction Bank has 4 high schools in Urumqi 360 thousand yuan each. The program will continue on for 6 years, eventually providing 3300 low-income students at 15 Xinjiang High Schools and 840 low-income students at 4 Bingtuan High Schools financial aid totaling 6.21 million yuan.

Other News

• 9 November 2007: The UCLA Asia Institute’s AsiaMedia site runs a fascinating piece by Tim Hathaway describing his year and a half stint as a journalist and writer for the state-run Xinjiang Economic Daily in Urumqi. Hathaway’s unique position as a foreigner hired by a state run publication in China’s most sensitive region gave him a unique vantage point through which to explore Xinjiang’s social issues and current events.
• 12 November 2007: The English Edition of Xinhua Net runs an English language version of the article linked above discussing the selection of 3 Kazakh herdsmen to track Przewalski’s horses in northern Xinjiang.

Blogs

• 15 November 2007: Davesgonechina at Mutant Palm writes about the 13th century legendary Sufi mystic Nasreddin Appendi and the different ways he has been reinvented in China. He also shares a vintage claymation “Afanti” episode posted at Tudou and the news that producers in Chongqing are working on a newer cartoon incarnation of the ancient master.