Abdul'ahat Abdulrixit (L), vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), receives an exclusive interview with Xinhua News Agency in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, on July 14, 2009. "Ethnic unity is the basic benefit for the 21 million people of various ethnic groups in Xinjiang... and these people have a long tradition of loving and supporting each other," Abdul'ahat Abdulrixit told Xinhua here on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Sadat) Photo Gallery>>>

    URUMQI, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Abdul'ahat Abdulrixit, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), said Tuesday that ethnic unity was the "basic benefit" for all the people in Xinjiang.

    "Ethnic unity is the basic benefit for the 21 million people of various ethnic groups in Xinjiang... and these people have a long tradition of loving and supporting each other," Abdul'ahat Abdulrixit told Xinhua in an interview in Urumqi Tuesday.

    Abdul'ahat Abdulrixit, an ethnic Uygur, was born in 1942 in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. He joined the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 1960 and was elected CPPCC National Committee vice chairman in 2008.

    "No matter whether in war or peace, people of Han and minority groups always had a strong emotional tie and they could not be separated from each other," he said.

    Abdul'ahat Abdulrixit cited many heroic stories during the July5 riot in which people from Han and other ethnic groups risked their lives to save people from the violence.

    According to media reports, an 81-year-old Uygur old man risked his life to save 18 people, and a Han boy named Li Huan saved more than 10 people and even captured a rioter.

    "The loving relationship among us has gone through all kinds of weather and will never be destroyed by these ethnic separatists," Abdul'ahat Abdulrixit said.

    He condemned the riot as an "extremely outrageous" crime organized by people who intentionally wanted to arouse ethnic conflicts and disturb social stability.

    The unrest which occurred on July 5 in Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang, resulted in at least 184 deaths and left 1,680 injured.

    Abdul'ahat Abdulrixit said that since the founding of the New China, health care, education, science and technology in Xinjiang had developed rapidly. 

Former NPC Vice-Chairman: "Great Wall of ethnic unity" remains firm

  URUMQI, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Tomur Dawamat, former vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress, said Tuesday that the "Great Wall of ethnic unity" would remain firm in Xinjiang despite the July 5 violence.  

Tomur Dawamat, former vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress, receives an interview with Xinhua News Agency in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, on July 14, 2009. Tomur Dawamat said here on Tuesday that the "Great Wall of ethnic unity" would remain firm in Xinjiang despite the July 5 violence. (Xinhua/Sadat) Photo Gallery>>>

    "People of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang cherish ethnic unity and desire stability," he told Xinhua in Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Full story

Funds for Xinjiang to build schools of "ethnic unity"

    BEIJING, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The Communist Youth League of China (CYLC) Central Committee announced here Tuesday the donation of 5 million yuan (731,000 U.S. dollars) to build ten "Hope Primary Schools of Ethnic Unity" in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

    The fund is jointly provided by the CYLC and the China Youth Development Foundation. Full story

Special Report: Urumqi Riot