Riot-ravaged Xinjiang looks toward revival
- Source: Xinhua
- [17:39 July 22 2009]
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Two weeks after a deadly riot in Xinjiang, residents in the far western region of China are gradually shaking off the shadow of the violence and striving for a revival.
On the Youth Road of downtown Urumqi, the regional capital, the Haojiaxiang supermarket is again crowded with customers hunting for bargains. After the July 5 riot in the city that has left 197 people dead and more than 1,600 injured, the supermarket saw its weekend turnover exceed the pre-riot level because of massive discounts.
The supermarket, one of the largest in Urumqi, has resumed normal operations from July 8 after early closings on July 6 and 7.
"More products are at a discount to attract customers," said the store's deputy manager Xu Bin. Discount ranges now account for20 percent of the supermarket's overall grocery sales, including fruit, vegetables and other daily necessities.
According to local government statistics, 98 percent of the stores, supermarkets and farm products markets that were damaged during the July 5 riot have resumed businesses.
A 4S store of Nissan auto, which estimated a loss of 8 million yuan ($1.2 million) as the rioters burned and smashed its vehicles, has received orders for 23 cars after it reopened on July 15.
At an agriculture product market on the Hezret Road in Kashgar, previous prosperity has returned -- venders are peddling their goods and customers are bargaining.
"I hope people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang can work together and restore the market as soon as possible," said AbdullaSabur, an old Uygur man who owns a raisin booth outside a bazaar in Urumqi.
The supply of vegetables, meat and other daily necessities is abundant in Urumqi and prices have gradually stabilized after a steep surge, according to the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the country's top economic planner.
Between July 6 and July 9, vegetable prices in the city surged more than 30 percent while meat prices rose between 6 percent and 25 percent as tension after the riot affected supply and demand.
To ease shortage, 1,500 tonnes of vegetables were shipped to Urumqi between July 6 and 11, according to the Ministry of Commerce.
The NDRC has urged local authorities to ensure market supplies, ease price hikes and enhance inspection to avoid illegal hoarding and speculation.
Nevertheless, bleak business pictures can be seen in Urumqi's largest border trade market on Yan'an Road, one of the most ravaged places during the violence. Stores had re-opened, but attracted much fewer customers than before.
"Many foreign clients dare not come to Urumqi in the short term because of the riot," said Dong Lipeng, a garment wholesaler from Wenzhou city in east China's Zhejiang Province. "The riot has hurt business here."