East Turkistan Information Center | 07/02/01

In an economic report made on November 28 last year in Urumchi, Chairman of the local government of the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region Ablet Abdurashid reported that "the average per capita income in the cities and towns of Xinjiang in 2000 was 5,870 yuan, while that of the farmers was 1,620 yuan" and that "Xinjiang occupies the second place among the five northwestern regions and provinces of China in terms of economic development and the 12th place in the country in terms of gross output per capita.

At present, 98% of the Chinese population live in cities and towns, while about 90% of Uighurs live in rural areas. Therefore, the average income of Chinese in East Turkistan is about 3.6 times larger than that of Uighurs.

East Turkistan occupies one of the lowest places in the country in terms of per capita income. About 20 of 100 most poor counties of China are located in the southern East Turkistan.

But, East Turkistan occupies leading positions in the country in the production of oil, gas, food products, and cotton, but, this does not benefit the local Uighur population.

According to the economic statistics for 1999 given in the report of the Hotan Prefecture communist party committee, the average annual per capita income of Hotan farmers decreased to 820 yuan comparing to previous year. At the same time, the income of Chinese Bingtuan workers went up to 5,639 yuan.

The growing income gap between Uighurs and Chinese in East Turksiatn causes discontent of the local Uighur population.