China notes ties with Islamic world
Originally published by UPI, 18 June 2010
BEIJING, June 18 (UPI) — The Chinese government, facing separatist pressures from its minority Uighurs in the northwest, says it values its friendly relations with the Islamic world.
In his meeting in Beijing with visiting Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, secretary-general of the 56-nation member Organization of the Islamic Conference, China’s top legislator, Wu Bangguo, said his government has always valued its ties with Islamic nations, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported. He said China appreciated the Islamic nations’ firm support of China’s core interests, which usually refers to its sovereign claims on Taiwan and Tibet.
Wu said China has always supported Islamic nations on issues of concern to them.
The report said Wu briefed Ihsanoglu on China’s national and religious policies and on the social and economic situation of the Xinjiang-Uighur region.
Communist China was hit by its worst ethnic riots last July in Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang-Uighur. The riots erupted after months of tensions between the Muslim Uighurs, who resent being ruled by Han Chinese. About 200 people died in those riots and hundreds more were injured, creating a tense border situation for the Beijing government. Several people, accused of murder and other crimes in the riots, have since been sentenced to death by the government.
In his comments, Ihsanoglu was quoted as saying his organization is opposed to terrorism, separatism and extremism in any form.