China promotes Xinjiang economic development amid past detention center focus

China is hosting an international conference in Altay, Xinjiang, to showcase economic development and promote trade and cooperation in the northwestern region. Officials from Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and Russia are attending the International Conference for Trans-Altai Subregional Cooperation.

Xinjiang plans to develop key industries including coal, oil, gas, and cotton, and is pursuing large infrastructure projects such as new railways and flight routes. Chen Xiaojiang, secretary of the Chinese Communist Party Xinjiang Committee, stated that Xinjiang exemplifies China's rapid economic development and governance advantages.

The region faces economic disparities compared to China's eastern industrial areas, with rural residents in Xinjiang having a per capita income of 13,052 yuan ($1,927) in 2020, significantly less than in Zhejiang province. These disparities have been linked to past unrest, which China addressed by detaining over a million ethnic minorities, primarily Uyghurs, starting in 2017.

While China asserts that most detention centers have been closed since 2021, some have reportedly been converted into prisons. Human rights groups, such as Global Rights Compliance, allege that forced participation in government job programs is widespread among Uyghurs, particularly in southern Xinjiang, and is increasing as part of China's latest economic plan.