According to Xinjiang Party Chief Zhang Chunxian, terrorist activity in the region has dropped “significantly”.

Zhang made the comments during the annual “two sessions”, claiming religious management and ethnic unity in Xinjiang had undergone “heartening changes” and that the public and officials were in “good spirits”.

“In the last year of economic development, religious administration, ethnic unity and other aspects of society have experienced positive and pleasant developments,” said Zhang. “In general terms, maintaining the stability has not been an exception. Stability has improved. Violent terrorist incidents have dropped significantly. Our ability to prevent, combat, and deal with them has continued to increase.”

Zhang however made it clear that Beijing has no intention of loosening control over the region: “Wherever the terrorist mentality and extremist behavior exists, we will maintain (our policy) of striking hard,” he said.

In the Agencies and CRI reports of Zhang’s statement, no details or statistics were released to verify his claim of a decrease in terrorism.

Meanwhile, The Nanfang coverage of Xinjiang stories over the past year has included an AIDS epidemic said to be “more dangerous” than regional terrorism, a violent incident at a Xinjiang coal mine in which some 40 people were injured, and the banning of burqas in public places. And just before that, Xinjiang had experienced a crackdown on religious leaders as well as instituting a Muslim dress ban along with a Muslim public bus ban.