Voice of America, 6/25/97, STEPHANIE HO

Published by: THE WORLD UYGHUR NETWORK NEWS, July 1, 1997

INTRO: China is telling its troops to be on high alert in the far northwestern province of Xinjiang -- amidst heavy security in Beijing as the Hong Kong handover draws nearer. as v-o-a's Stephanie Ho reports, Xinjiang is on China's border, and has experienced periodic separatist unrest among its Muslim Uigher minority.

TEXT: The main communist party newspaper, the People's Daily, quoted Chinese defense minister Chi Haotian as saying soldiers in Xinjiang must increase their patrols and drills to ensure the safety and stability of the region. He says Xinjiang is a large area with a long border and soldiers there must maintain a high state of alert.

The newspaper said the chinese defense minister made his comments during a recent visit to the northwestern region.

China's rulers are taking steps to ensure that nothing taints the return of Hong Kong on July first. As a result, Chinese authorities have boosted security and police patrols in the run-up to what Beijing is calling one of the most important events in Chinese history.

In late February, homemade bus bombs in the Xinjiang regional capital of Urumqi killed at least nine people. The bomb attack coincided with funeral rites in Beijing for late paramount leader Deng Xiaoping.