Xinjiang has been the centre of an unprecedented flurry of government fact-finding missions in the past fortnight, as mainland leaders prepare for the first Xinjiang-themed central government work conference, designed to 'leapfrog development' in the restive region.
New Xinjiang party secretary Zhang Chunxian held 10 round-table meetings in nine days after the May 1 holiday, speaking to officials from different levels of government and departments, people's congress deputies and military officers in both Urumqi and Kashgar , according to mainland media.
Meanwhile, 19 provinces and cities were paired up with more than 80 counties in Xinjiang to offer financial assistance and know-how. Investigation teams from the more developed regions have been scouring Xinjiang to see what they can contribute.
On Sunday, Zhang held a preparatory meeting in Beijing with the rest of the Xinjiang regional government, calling on cadres to perform their best at the upcoming work conference, which 'will have immense impact on the leapfrog development and long-term stability of the region'.
'The reason the central government is holding this meeting is to mobilise the power of the whole Communist Party and the whole country, to take on a development path that has Chinese characteristics as well as fitting in with the reality in Xinjiang, and make sure that Xinjiang will reach prosperity by 2020, like the rest of the country,' he said.
The timing of the work conference has not been announced, but the Xinjiang Daily said it would be 'soon'. Given that Zhang and other regional government leaders are in Beijing, it could have been held as early as yesterday.