Hubei province sets up bureaus for Xinjiang people there

Central China's Hubei province established the country's first Xinjiang Bureaus based in the cities of Wuhan, Xiangyang and Yichang. The aim is to help to solve the problems of the Xinjiang people who study, work and live in the province.

As a manager of 17 halal canteens at 12 universities in Hubei and Hunan provinces, 34-year-old Kurbanjan Tewukel sometimes helps the staff outside his office.

Kurbanjan was born in Kashgar in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The year before graduating from Wuhan University in 2004, he set up his first halal canteen on campus in the capital of Hubei province. He had no idea what a success it would be.

"I got support from the university and the local government. Last month the province established a Xinjiang Bureau based in Hubei. I told them I'm having a cash flow problem. I'm grateful that the bureau is trying to help me solve the problem." Kurbanjan said.

This April, Hubei established the country's first Xinjiang Bureaus based in Wuhan, Xiangyang and Yichang. They are run by both the local and Xinjiang governments to deal with the ethnic and religious affairs in Hubei province.

"In fact, the local government is doing very well. My job here is to assist their work and to help solve the problems of the Xinjiang people living in Hubei province. I can speak both Uygur and Mandarin. So they feel comfortable talking to me." Maimaitili Maimaitiming, director of Xinjiang Bureau In Wuhan, said.

"Our aim is to cement ethnic relations with Xinjiang. The bureau is like opening a window to exchange and building a bridge of communication for the Xinjiang people living in Hubei." Deng Hanguang, deputy director of Hubei Ethnic & Religious Affairs Commission, said.

Kurbanjan is not the only one who's benefited from the bureau. Over 5,000 people from Xinjiang are studying and working in Hubei. Most run barbecue street stands.

Many of the stands were illegal, and for years, had been subject to warnings by urban management agents. After Maimaitili arrived in Wuhan, they've found proper locations.

Communication has the power to enhance understanding and solidify unity. The Hubei method works quite well so far. But we still need to explore more methods to help people from minority ethnic groups work and live better in other parts of the country.