China has replaced its hardline Communist party chief for Xinjiang province with a media-savvy politician with economic training more than nine months after the country’s worst ethnic riots in decades claimed almost 200 lives in the restive western region.
Zhang Chunxian, the 57-year-old party chief of Hunan province, has succeeded 65-year-old Wang Lequan, who has led Xinjiang for 15 years as its Communist party secretary, the Xinhua official news agency said.
The change of guard comes with a broader policy adjustment. The politbureau decided on Friday that economic and social improvements should be given priority in the region marking a departure from Mr Wang’s formula of “stability above all else”.
“[We] must push forward good and fast economic and social development in Xinjiang, and concentrate efforts on ensuring and improving the people's livelihood, regarding this as the priority, so that the people of various ethnic groups in Xinjiang will live a more prosperous and happy life,” Xinhua said.
Beijing is expected to come up with the final new policies at a conference on Xinjiang next month – the first such meeting held on this region after similar assemblies on Tibet.
Xinjiang was originally dominated by Uighurs, a Turkic, mainly Muslim group. After decades of Chinese colonisation, they are on the verge of becoming a minority in their homeland.
The region has the lion’s share of China’s oil, gas and coal reserves and borders Pakistan, Afghanistan and Central Asia. Beijing sees firm control of Xinjiang as key to its ability to preserve territorial integrity and one-party rule. Mr Wang’s security regime had been seen as a guarantor of this.
Over past years, Beijing has encouraged state-owned companies to step up investment, especially in resources, making Xinjiang one of China’s fastest-growing regions. But this development model has failed to benefit Uighurs, rural areas and southern Xinjiang.
While the government followed Mr Wang’s rhetoric and described last July’s ethnic riots as a conspiracy of “splittists” and “terrorists”, Beijing started looking at its economic and social policies in Xinjiang.
Mr Wang’s only expertise was in the party apparatus and the Bingtuan, a paramilitary force that runs much of the economy. He was loathed by residents across all ethnic groups because his focus on security put a stranglehold on the economy and because of accusations of nepotism.
Han Chinese in Xinjiang put high hopes into Mr Zhang. “So far, we’ve been ruled like a garrison. Maybe in the future we can live a bit more normal lives like people elsewhere in China,” said an entrepreneur based in Urumqi.
Mr Zhang holds degrees in engineering and management, and has served in state companies and as minister of transport. His amiable style and responsive attitude towards journalists have made him popular.
But Uighur observers said Mr Zhang was unlikely to bring change other than a slightly friendlier face.
“China is not changing its suppression of our people,” said Dilxat Raxit, spokesman of the World Uyghur Congress in Germany.
