Chinese Politburo member and CPPCC Chairman Wang Yang, while on an inspection tour (March 14-17, 2021) to the Xinjiang-Uyghur Autonomous Region called for fully implementing the Party's policies on governing Xinjiang for the new era and consolidate the foundation for enduring peace and stability in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. CCTV disclosed that the 'research team' led by Wang Yang split into four groups and went to Urumqi, Kashgar, Turpan, Hami, Kizilsu, Changji and also visited villages, communities, schools, enterprises, research institutes, and religious sites. He called for fully implementing the Party's policies on freedom of religious belief and upholding the principle that religions in China must be Chinese in orientation to guide Islam in Xinjiang to better adapt to the socialist society. Wang Yang acknowledged Xinjiang's achievements in counterterrorism, maintaining stability, and poverty alleviation in recent years, but stressed the need to cement the sense of community for the Chinese nation. He urged efforts to deepen the research of Xinjiang's history and promote the standard spoken and written Chinese language. His visit was reported by the state-owned CCTV and Xinhua (March 17). Wang Yang was accompanied by Xinjiang Party Secretary, Chen Quanguo and Secretary of the CCP CC Secretariat and Director of the UFWD, You Quan.

(Comment: Chinese President Xi Jinping had, at the recently concluded NPC Plenum, called for "solid" measures to implement the teaching of Mandarin as the premier language for China's ethnic minorities.)