Weekly News Roundup: Dispatches from the Silk Road Economic Belt

WHY CHINA’S HUI MUSLIMS FEAR THEY’RE NEXT TO FACE CRACKDOWN ON RELIGION
Increasing levels of online hate speech are fuelling concerns that Beijing’s heavy controls on religion in Xinjiang could be extended to the Hui community in Yunnan. The Uygurs, another Muslim ethnic minority numbering about 10 million, have been treated with suspicion by the party because of their Turkic roots and their concentration in the far northwestern region of Xinjiang. Beijing has blamed Islamic militants and separatists for violence in Xinjiang that has killed hundreds in recent years. Strict controls on religious practice have been imposed as part of a counterterrorism campaign. In comparison, back in Yunnan, it is common practice for Muslim parents to have their children attend private tutoring in Islam provided by mosques. With Chinese universities banned from teaching theology, wealthy Hui families even send their children to receive Islamic education in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and Pakistan. After knife-wielding Uygurs killed 31 people at Kunming’s
main railway station in 2014, almost all Uygurs were expelled from Yunnan. (Scmp)

Xinjiang’s Rapidly Evolving Security State 

Using data gleaned from public service postings, it is possible to map the development of this security state in Xinjiang. Beginning in 2006, XUAR public and civil service jobs have been publically advertised on the Chinese Internet in an effort to increase transparency. These recruitment adverts contain a range of useful information, such as the number and types of positions plus specific requirements for residency, ethnicity, and education, among other details. By aggregating recruitment adverts across hundreds of regional websites and then disaggregating and analyzing the resulting data, we have compiled a unique dataset that chronicles the ballooning security footprint in Xinjiang. (Jamestown Foundation)

China's Xinjiang offers leniency for 'terrorists' who turn themselves in
Authorities in China's western region of Xinjiang on 14 March offered leniency to "separatists, terrorists and religious extremists" who turn themselves in, the latest in a string of recent security measures in the violence-prone region. China says militants have stirred up tension in Xinjiang, where hundreds of people have been killed in recent years in unrest between mostly Muslim ethnic Uighurs and majority Han Chinese. Officials say they face a determined campaign by separatists who want to set up an independent state called East Turkestan. Reuters

Xinjiang police fight the flow of guns, drugs and terrorist media from across border

For people working at the Khunjerab Pass border station in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, dangers lurk underneath the region's calm appearance as criminals try to smuggle drugs and guns into China from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Tajikistan. In recent years, officials have busted countless drug cases in which smugglers try to bring heroin from the "Golden Crescent" onto the Chinese market. As Khunjerab Pass is in restive southern Xinjiang, policemen are also tasked with confiscating media that promotes terrorism. (Global Times)

Kazakhstan prepares to export domestic gas to China in 2017

At present, 18,000 kilometres of main and 30,000 kilometres of distribution gas pipelines have been built, which to date have transported 173 billion cubic metres of transit gas, including 35 billion cubic metres last year, and additional capacities of the Kazakhstan-China gas pipeline are being introduced. “The design capacity of the pipeline will be brought up to 10 billion cubic metres, which will allow the country to start exporting its gas to China if the relevant agreements are signed. In addition, the possibility of transit of Russian gas to China via the existing gas transportation system of Kazakhstan is being considered,” said Minister of Energy Kanat Bozumbayev at the ministry meeting on Feb. 20 on the results of 2016.(Astana Times)

Afghan Taliban’s political negotiators visit China
The Afghan Taliban’s senior political negotiators recently visited China on the invitation of the Chinese government, which has been making efforts to encourage the insurgent group to join the peace process, two Taliban officials have said. The Taliban Qatar office chief Sher Abbas Stanikazai led a five-member delegation for talks with the Chinese officials. The delegation comprised Maulvi Shahabuddin Dilawar, Jan Muhammad Madani, Salam Hanafi and Dr Saleh, Taliban sources familiar with the visit told The Express Tribune.
Tribune


CENTRAL ASIA 

Northern Sea Route offers opportunity for stronger Sino-Russian relationship

China Poly Group Corp. is reportedly set to invest $300 million in port facilities in Northwest Russia's Murmansk, a major transportation junction within the Arctic Circle, offering a positive signal that China may be taking a more active role in the development of the Northern Sea Route (NSR) from Northern Europe to East Asia via the Arctic. Due to global warming, it will become viable to deliver goods from Europe to the Pacific throughout the Arctic as ice floes melt. There is reason to believe that China would be interested in participating in the development of the NSR, as the waterway will save time and can help China find a way out of the Strait of Malacca dilemma that has long plagued importers and exporters. (Global Times)

Russia-India rail link could undermine Suez Canal's importanceJonathan Hillman, the Director of the Reconnecting Asia and a Fellow at the CSIS | Center for Strategic & International Studies, writes for Nikkei Asian Review on the implications of the Iran-Azerbaijan railway. As sanctions on Iran were lifted in 2016 and China's One Belt, One Road initiative has received international attention, the North-South Transport Corridor, which aims to connect Russia, Iran and India, has grown in momentum. To fully achieve its potential for regional trade and connectivity, the Corridor must improve transportation regulations and provide an attractive alternative to maritime shipping. (Reconnecting Asia)

US, India, Iran

Delhi has signed an agreement with Kabul and Tehran to expand the Iranian port of Chabahar so it can establish a gateway to Afghanistan’s vast mineral resources, create a suitable facility to handle higher-volume Iranian natural gas exports to India and, possibly, “checkmate” the Chinese. However, reports Peter J. Brown, the project now seems at odds with US President Donald Trump posturing over Iran. Or does it?

EBRD set to refresh cooperation with Uzbekistan under its new leadership
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and Uzbekistan are set to re-engage on a new level. During EBRD’s Mar. 15-17 visit to the Central Asian country, the sides intend to sign a memorandum of understanding. “We believe the time is right to re-engage with Uzbekistan,” EBRD Managing Director for Communications Jonathan Charles told The Astana Times during his visit to Tashkent. “We see this as a new beginning. It was triggered ‎by the election of a new president. He and the Uzbek government have made it clear that they wish to pursue reform and we wish to support that. This trip is designed to cement the new working relationship between both sides and explore where we might invest. We have invested in Uzbekistan since 1993, but in recent years there was a pause. That is now over,” he added. “We wish to develop the private sector and encourage entrepreneurship. We will provide financing and advice for small and medium-sized companies. We will look at regional investments and also help to clean up the uranium mining and processing sites left over from the Soviet Union. But beyond that, we will look at many other possible investments,” said Charles.(Astana Times)