Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region will provide more enterprise-oriented e-commerce services and public-oriented telecom services, Xinhua.net said on Monday.

In the latest statement released by the regional telecommunication administration last Saturday, the administration is considering offering more services concerning e-commerce as well as e-administration.

Telecom services like online banking, online stocking trading, online recruitment, and weather forecasts via SMS have already been put into use in the region so far.

Telecom administrators also expressed their hope that the public would understand censorship over the Internet that started weeks ago, the statement said.

Xinjiang officials cut Internet connection in parts of the capital city of Urumqi after the riot on July 5. The measure was to prevent illegal gatherings or protests that could be organized online.

Nur Bekri, chairman of the autonomous region, said July 19 that the government had gradually loosened its censorship on the Internet and it would not take long for connections to be back to normal.

(Chinadaily.com.cn July 27, 2009)