Chinese authorities have put increasing pressure on ethnic Kazakhs and Kyrgyz in Xinjiang. By Catherine Putz In recent months, ethnic Kazakhs and Kyrgyz in China’s westernmost province — Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region — have been subject to pressure and detention by Chinese authorities. On Friday, Radio Free Asia reported that Chinese authorities in Xinjiang had detained an ethnic Kazakh family that was ...

China is planning to send troops to Syria to aid President Bashar Al-Assad’s forces, according to the New Khaleej. According to informed sources, the move comes as China becomes increasingly concerned with the presence of Islamic militants in the East Turkestan region, who have been sighted aiding opposition groups in Syria. Last week, during a meeting with Syrian Presidential Advisor Bouthaina Shaaban, Chi ...

A four-year old Uyghur kisses the image of her father from a DVD of family photographs taken during the previous decade. By Darren Byler and Eleanor Moseman This is the second of a two-part series by Darren Byler, who with photographers Nicola Zolin and Eleanor Moseman, powerfully document how the bodies of migrants are marked, just as their communities are erased, in the often unconsidered spaces of China' ...

CPI: Analysis Written by Jeffrey Wasserstrom. When journalists interviewed me during the lead-up to the Chinese Communist Party’s 19th Congress, some grew frustrated by my unwillingness to make predictions. In dodging their forecast questions, I often played the history card.  “Historians like me,” I would say, “are more comfortable focusing on the past than the future.” I sometimes added that it was worth ...

  Uyghur Culture (General) The Uyghurs practice Islam. Currently under Chinese law, Uyghur women are not allowed to wear complete head-coverings and young Uyghur men are not allowed to have long beards. Uyghur language has Turkic origins and they use Arabic script. Uyghur art, dance and music is very popular with the music being particularly popular throughout China. Uyghurs use special instruments for ...