SHANGHAI ¨C China¡¯s change of leadership in Xinjiang could indicate greater emphasis on economic development in the region, experts said, although its security crackdown targeting minority Muslims is unlikely to see a significant change in direction.
On Saturday, the official Xinhua News Agency reported that Chen Quanguo, whose heavy handed security campaign in the far-western region drew international sanctions, had been replaced after five years.
Chen, 66 and a member of China¡¯s Politburo, a top policymaking body, was succeeded as Xinjiang Communist Party secretary by Ma Xingrui, who was governor of Guangdong. Analysts said Ma¡¯s stewardship of Guangdong, China¡¯s largest provincial economy, may point to why he was chosen.
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