China to build new cities in anti-terror drive
China has announced plans to build new cities from the ground up as part of the country's anti-terror measures.
Reports in the national press says that urbanisation will be used as a "fundamental solution" to tackle poverty, inequality and unemployment in less-developed areas of the country. These factors are all helping to fuel unrest and terror attacks from Islamic extremists, authorities told the Global Times.
The publication says that the state-run Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps will create new towns, boosting jobs and education, which Xu Weihua, the group’s deputy political commissar, says will "help local people enjoy a modern and civilized social life".