International calls and mobile phone multimedia messaging services would be restored in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region as authorities would continue to lift communication restrictions.

Hou Hanmin, spokesperson for the regional government, made the remarks Monday after text messaging services resumed since midnight Sunday, six months after the deadly July 5 riot hit the regional capital of Urumqi.

However, Hou did not give the exact date for the restoration of international calls and mobile phone multimedia messaging services.

On Sunday alone, 4.13 mobile phone users in Xinjiang sent 42.84 million text messages. The region has 11.56 million cell phone users, according to official statistics.

A cell phone user was allowed to send up to 20 text messages a day at the moment and the number would be increased during the coming Spring Festival, said Hou.

Some netizens in Xinjiang complained about the limit of the text messaging service, however, Hou Hanmin said most users considered the number of 20 text messages were acceptable.

The access for Xinjiang residents to two websites, namely xinhuanet.com and people.com.cn, were restored on December 28, followed by access to another two portal websites, or sina.com.cn and sohu.com, on January 10.

Other services had also been resumed, including online banking, online securities trading, online student enrollment and text messages of weather forecast.

Internet connection and mobile phone text messaging services were cut in some areas of Xinjiang after the deadly July 5 riot, in a move to quench the riot quickly and prevent violence from happening again.

The move proved to be effective in dealing with the riot and maintaining stability of the region. However, it also brought inconveniences to people's lives, officials said.

(Xinhua News Agency January 19, 2010)