He urged measures to weaken the identity of ethnic groups in policy-making, such as closing ethnic schools to promote more communication between different ethnic groups. He also said the promotion of Mandarin in ethnic regions could benefit local people in the current market economy environment. "To develop the economy and improve people’s lives doesn’t mean only helping people out of poverty. Instead, their education level and competitive capabilities should be enhanced fundamentally. The Han Chinese should take responsibility for the integration, and Han people should make more sacrifice and contribution to the goal," Qiang said. In his view, as the government sends officials from other regions to work in Xinjiang, it should also encourage officials in Xinjiang to work in other regions.
The Xinjiang authorities have launched a door-to-door campaign to explain the new policies of the government for the economic development of the province to the people on the eve of the forthcoming anniversary of last year's outbreak of violence. According to Mr Li Yi, head of the publicity department of the regional office of the Communist Party of China, over 9,000 officials and scholars would explain the Government's policies in schools, government departments, communities, villages, families and mosques across Xinjiang.
The Chinese authorities mistakenly seem to think that the feelings of alienation in the Uighur community are only because of the economic disparities between the Uighurs and the Han settlers. They do not seem to realise that these are more due to the unhappiness of the Uighurs over the failure of the government to respect their ethnic and religious rights.