China issues white paper on Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps

The Chinese government released a white paper Sunday detailing history and achievements made by the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC) to mark its 60th founding anniversary, highlighting its role in maintaining social stability and enhancing border defense.

"It has been a consistent policy of the central government to support the growth of the XPCC," said the white paper, published by the State Council Information Office under the title "History and Development of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps."

At present, Xinjiang is at a critical stage of achieving lasting social and political stability, the white paper said.

"It has been China's long-term strategy to give better play to the unique role of the XPCC in maintaining stability and safeguarding the border," it said.

"Under new conditions, the XPCC should never be allowed to weaken, but rather be strengthened."

The white paper elaborated on the founding, development, responsibilities, structure of the XPCC and its roles in promoting economic development, safeguarding the border areas, maintaining stability, and promoting ethnic unity in the western region.

Combining the functions of production, administration and defense, the XPCC has made "indelible contributions" to the development of Xinjiang by promoting unity among ethnic groups, maintaining social stability, and strengthening national border defense, it said.

As an important part of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the XPCC assumes the responsibilities entrusted to it by the state of cultivating and guarding the border areas, and operates an administrative system with unified Party, government, military and enterprise roles.

It is a special social organization that handles its own administrative and judicial affairs within the reclamation areas under its administration, in accordance with the laws and regulations of the state and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, with economic planning directly supervised by the state.