Annual session of Xinjiang CPPCC kicks off

Political advisers in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region performed well in countering separatism and religious extremism during the past year, the region's top advisor said on Monday.

The regional committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) convened its annual session, summarizing the work of last year and delivering a blueprint for 2015.

Advisors made inspections and discussed anti-terrorism, national unity, religious affairs and eliminating religious extremism last year.

Nine proposals on issues such as religious coexistence, rule of Xinjiang by law and ethnic unity were passed by the standing committee and handed to the regional government, Nurlan Abdumanjin, chairman of the Xinjiang committee of the CPPCC said.

Several terrorist attacks occurred in China during the year, mostly in Xinjiang. Political advisors there held 782 seminars and talks to denounce terrorism and separatism following the attacks. They also published articles and called on all ethnic groups to fight evil forces, Nurlan said.

Discussions were held on several topics with different groups to solve practical problems. Advisors also offered legislative consultation on drafting an outline for ruling Xinjiang by law and revising religious affairs rules.

Consultative work was highlighted by monthly talks introduced during the year, Nurlan said. Issues in the fields of environmental protection, logistics industry development, female college students' employment, foreign trade promotion and cultural heritage protection were resolved. Committees at all levels of the CPPCC in Xinjiang submitted 772 reports to the government.