Sixty-six state-owned enterprises in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region donated 170 million yuan (US$24 million) on Thursday for the families of victims of the July 5 violence in the regional capital Urumqi.

The donations came SOEs with headquarters or branches in Xinjiang, including the mining and energy giant Shenhua Group, Baosteel Group Co. and COFCO, the country's largest oils and food trader, according to the regional state-owned assets supervision and administration commission.

"The theme of development and stability will prevail in Xinjiang," said Li Ming, deputy general manager of COFCO Xinjiang Tunhe Co., Ltd, a subsidiary COFCO, at a donation ceremony in Urumqi. COFCO donated 20 million yuan.

"We are optimistic about the region's future and we have decided to further develop our agricultural business here," he added.

Kuresh Mahsut, vice chairman of the regional government, said at the ceremony that big enterprises and big groups were an important force in safeguarding Xinjiang's stability and promoting its economic development.

"The July 5 riot will not affect the investment environment in Xinjiang," he said.

The SOE donations came after 33 business chambers and agencies in the region donated 6.05 million yuan this week to those affected by the riot which has left 192 dead and more than 1,600 injured.

The regional government said last week that the families of innocent people killed in the riot would receive compensation of 200,000 yuan in addition to a funeral fee of 10,000 yuan and a "comfort benefit" of 10,000 yuan, for each fatality.

(Xinhua News Agency July 17, 2009)