Xinjiang elite cop corps promoted

An armed police force in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region has been elevated in status to hightlight its greater role in the fight against terrorism and maintain social stability, the Xinjiang Daily reported Saturday.

The Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC) armed police command was raised to the level "deputy corps command," equaling the rank of armed police forces in most provincial areas.

Beijing's armed police force is at the "full corps command" level, one of the country's only two local regions to enjoy this title - the other, the General Armed Police Force in Xinjiang, was promoted to full corps command in 2008 due to its special anti-terrorism geo-political role.

The Chinese People's Armed Police Force has undergone a major leadership reshuffle nationwide before the CPC's 18th National Congress. The change in Xinjiang drew greater public attention, as the region has been plagued by terrorists and separatists.

"The command promoted to a rank higher is an affirmation from the Central Military Commission and the Party leadership about the job we've done," Che Jun, the Party chief of the XPCC armed force command, said at the promotion ceremony on Thursday, adding that the troops will work harder to safeguard national security and regional social stability.

The armed police force was called in to help settle the 2009 riots in which radical elements killed nearly 200 residents, mainly belonging to the Han ethnic group.

Di Ming has been named as the new commander of the XPCC armed force, Xinjiang Daily said.

"This promotion stresses this corps' role in anti-terrorism since it is stationed in a strategic border region," Major General Xu Guangyu, a Beijing-based military expert, told the Global Times, adding that the change could also improve the efficiency of the local armed police force.

"The corps can report directly to the central command in Beijing in which case the time taken to respond to emergencies will be shortened," Xu said.

Besides a reshuffle in Xinjiang, armed police forces in Shanghai, Hainan, Zhejiang, Guangxi, Shanxi, Shandong and Heilongjiang have also welcomed new chiefs over the last week.