Fighting poverty in impoverished Xinjiang county

Around 150,000 people live in poverty in the Taklamakan Desert county of Moyu, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

It is the job of He Jun, secretary of the county Communist Party of China (CPC) committee, to find ways of increasing the incomes of these people, but the battle against poverty is being lost while He spends most of his time combating religious extremism.

Moyu was once just an oasis. The population has grown, and the county now has less than 600 square meters of farmland per capita, mostly growing cotton.

Unlike China's better-off regions, economic development in rural counties like Moyu largely depends on the government. Most farmers have no idea what they can do to improve their lot and rely on the government to come up with feasible business ideas.

With 97 percent of the county's 580,000 people Uygur, the county is not just one of China's poorest but a pressure cooker of religious extremism.

After 31 years as a civil servant in Hotan, He became the county Party chief in February last year. He is confident of lifting the remaining 150,000 out of poverty in the next five years "if peace and stability in the county can be assured."

Despite firm action by the police, numerous cliques and cabals in the county continue to spread the extremist message, provide terror training and inciting the faithful to violence.

"We can only end poverty in a peaceful environment. Social development cannot proceed if people's brains are addled, despite newly paved roads and modern houses," said the official.

"We have found that most gang members are simple-minded youngsters with less than primary schooling. They are easily led and the situation will get worse until the government makes sure that they receive a formal education," said He.

The county government has two e-commerce platforms,"Flavors of Hotan" selling local farm produce and "Hotan Impression" for craft items such as Uygur knives, mulberry paper and Hotan silk.

"We have encouraged farmers to develop sustainable agriculture suitable for the region, such as growing dates, grapes, boxthorn and roses or raising soft-shelled turtles in wetlands," He said..

"We plan to build brick-and-mortar shops and logistics centers in Hotan, Urumqi and Beijing," He said.