Xi Calls for ‘Sinicization of Islam’ During Visit to Xinjiang

Chinese President Xi Jinping (AP)
Chinese President Xi Jinping (AP)
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Xi Calls for ‘Sinicization of Islam’ During Visit to Xinjiang

Chinese President Xi Jinping (AP)
Chinese President Xi Jinping (AP)

Chinese President Xi Jinping made a rare visit to Xinjiang on Saturday, calling on officials to promote the “Sinicization of Islam” and effectively control illegal religious activities in a troubled region where Beijing is accused of severe human rights abuses.

State broadcaster CCTV said that during his first publicly known visit to Xinjiang since July 2022, the Chinese President stressed that top priority must always be given to maintaining social stability. “We must use stability to guarantee development,” he said.

Xi added, it was “necessary to... combine the development of the anti-terrorism and anti-separatism struggle with the push for normalizing social stability work and rule of law,” according to the broadcaster.

CCTV said Xi also urged officials to more deeply promote the Sinicization of Islam and effectively control illegal religious activities.

“In the process of Chinese-style modernization, we will better build a beautiful Xinjiang that is united and harmonious, wealthy and prosperous,” he added.

The Chinese government has pursued a years-long campaign against what it describes as terrorism and Islamic extremism in the northwestern region, detaining large numbers of Uyghurs and other Muslims, AFP said.

A United Nations report last year found China's actions in Xinjiang may constitute “crimes against humanity”, and the United States and legislatures in other countries have labelled the policies a “genocide”-- claims Beijing denies.

Beijing also vehemently rejects allegations it exposed forced labor on members of Uyghurs in Xinjiang, saying training programs, work plans and better education have helped eradicate extremism in the region.

In Saturday's speech, Xi said officials must “strengthen positive publicity and show Xinjiang's new atmosphere of openness and self-confidence... (while) refuting all forms of false public opinion and negative or harmful speech,” CCTV reported.

The region should also open up further to domestic and foreign tourism, Xi said, according to the broadcaster.



Iran Says it Would Resume Nuclear Talks with US if Guaranteed No Further Attacks

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi attends a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia June 23, 2025. Sputnik/Sergei Karpukhin/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi attends a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia June 23, 2025. Sputnik/Sergei Karpukhin/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
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Iran Says it Would Resume Nuclear Talks with US if Guaranteed No Further Attacks

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi attends a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia June 23, 2025. Sputnik/Sergei Karpukhin/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi attends a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia June 23, 2025. Sputnik/Sergei Karpukhin/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

Iran’s foreign minister said Saturday that his country would accept a resumption of nuclear talks with the US if there were assurances of no more attacks against it, state media reported.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a speech to Tehran-based foreign diplomats that Iran has always been ready and will be ready in the future for talks about its nuclear program, but, “assurance should be provided that in case of a resumption of talks, the trend will not lead to war.”

Referring to the 12-day Israeli bombardment of Iran's nuclear and military sites, and the US strike on June 22, Araghchi said that if the US and others wish to resume talks with Iran, "first of all, there should be a firm guarantee that such actions will not be repeated. The attack on Iran's nuclear facilities has made it more difficult and complicated to achieve a solution based on negotiations.”

Following the strikes, Iran suspended cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog, which led to the departure of inspectors.

Araghchi said that under Iranian law, the country will answer the agency’s request for cooperation "case by case,” based on Iran’s interests. He also said any inspection by the agency should be done based on Iran's “security” concerns as well as the safety of the inspectors. “The risk of proliferation of radioactive ingredients and an explosion of ammunition that remains from the war in the attacked nuclear sites is serious,” he said.

"The risk of spreading radioactive materials and the risk of exploding leftover munitions ... are serious," he added.

"For us, IAEA inspectors approaching nuclear sites has both a security aspect ... and the safety of the inspectors themselves is a matter that must be examined."

He also reiterated Iran's position on the need to continue enriching uranium on its soil. US President Donald Trump has insisted that cannot happen.

Israel claims it acted because Tehran was within reach of a nuclear weapon. US intelligence agencies and the International Atomic Energy Agency had assessed Iran last had an organized nuclear weapons program in 2003, though Tehran had been enriching uranium up to 60% — a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in an interview published Monday said the US airstrikes so badly damaged his country’s nuclear facilities that Iranian authorities still have not been able to access them to survey the destruction.