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AP
2008-05-09 08:59:11 -

BEIJING (AP) - Chinese officials sought Friday to reassure investors that the restive western territory of Xinjiang is a safe place to do business, despite alleged terrorist plots and protests among its native Turkic Muslim population.

«These are the acts of a tiny number of isolated individuals ... and can have very little effect on the region as a whole,» Xinjiang Vice Gov. Hu Wei told a gathering of journalists, diplomats and government officials in Beijing as part of a promotion for an annual trade fair in September. «In terms of economic development, social stability and ethnic unity, Xinjiang really is seeing the best time for development in its history.

The territory's economy has been booming from minerals, trade and refining. China says violent separatists are behind recent unrest in Xinjiang and Tibet that has drawn increased scrutiny of the country's treatment of minority groups.

Members of Xinjiang's native population, known as Uighurs, make up slightly less than half of the region's population of 20 million. Extremists among them have for years pursued a low-intensity struggle against Chinese rule, accusing Beijing's communist authorities of suppressing their culture and religion.

While there has been little recent violence, authorities said last month they had uncovered several plots by independence groups to attack official targets, down a commercial aircraft and sabotage the Beijing Summer Olympics with suicide bombings and kidnappings of foreign visitors. Occasional demonstrations targeting authorities, including a recent protest march in Hotan city, have added to the impression of rising tensions.

Hu reiterated earlier claims that the incidents were being incited and orchestrated by followers, at home and overseas, of what China calls «three forces» _ separatism, religious extremism and terrorism.

Chinese officials have offered no evidence to back the allegations, the latest in a series of dramatic terrorism charges against ethnic minorities in the run-up to the Olympics.

Although Beijing claims it faces a serious threat linked to Islamic terrorist groups such as al-Qaida, officials are also quick to assert they have the situation well in hand.

«Xinjiang is absolutely safe for investment and business,» said Ismail Tiliwaldi, Xinjiang's former governor and now a vice speaker of the National People's Congress, China's rubber-stamp parliament.

«People know that stability is prosperity, chaos is disaster,» Tiliwaldi said.
Xinjiang, an area more than twice the size of Spain, recorded economic growth of 11 percent in 2006, the last year for which figures were available.