BEIJING, Dec 29 — The new party chief in China’s Xinjiang called for improved business conditions in his first official visit to the region, where forced labour accusations have prompted some countries to announce a diplomatic boycott of the upcoming Beijing Winter Olympics.
In a visit to regional capital Urumqi this week, Ma called it necessary to “improve the modernisation” of industrial and supply chains, said state-run local media, and to “implement measures to support enterprises and stimulate innovation.” But Beijing has come under mounting pressure over its policies, with US President Joe Biden last Thursday signing a law that virtually banned all imports from the region over forced labour concerns.
He replaces Chen, who has been party chief of Xinjiang since 2016, and has been hit with US sanctions over what Washington called the “horrific and systematic abuses” in the region.