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China to develop Kashgar

Preferential investment and tax policies will aim to boost investment in the Silk Road trading hub near the borders of Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. — PHOTO: AFP

Originally published AFP, 24 June 2010

BEIJING – CHINA plans to ramp up growth in the ancient city of Kashgar in the restive Xinjiang region by making it an ‘economic development zone’ focused on central Asian trade, state media said on Thursday.

Preferential investment and tax policies will aim to boost investment in the Silk Road trading hub near the borders of Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, the China Daily reported.

 ‘After detailed research, the central government has decided to build an economic development zone in Kashgar,’ Wang Yongzhi, Deputy Commissioner of Kashgar prefecture, was quoted as telling the newspaper.

 ‘None of the policies will be finalised until the end of this year at the earliest,’ Mr Wang said.

 However, the plan could court controversy due to anger among the region’s Muslim ethnic Uighurs over China’s development policies and concerns over the city’s ancient architecture.

 Xinjiang’s roughly eight million Uighurs have long alleged Chinese political, cultural and religious oppression. — AFP

 

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