The foundations of Xinjiang’s transformation (1949–1990)

This is apropos two back-to-back letters to the Editor ‘The foundations of Xinjiang’s transformation (1949–1990)’ carried by the newspaper on Thursday and yesterday.

Xinjiang’s social fabric, however, was rich and resilient. The Uyghurs formed nearly three-fifths of the population, cultivating orchards and cotton in the southern oases. The Kazakhs, almost one-fifth, herded livestock across the grasslands of Ili and Altay, while smaller communities of Hui, Kyrgyz, Tajiks, Mongols, and Xibe contributed unique skills in trade, craftsmanship, and pastoral life.

Han settlers, fewer than seven percent, lived mainly in urban centers such as Urumqi and Shihezi. Despite their diversity, these communities shared deep local knowledge of irrigation, herbal medicine, and desert ecology — indigenous wisdom that would later merge with modern science to form the backbone of Xinjiang’s revival.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025