CHINESE OFFICIALS used to insist that social harmony in Xinjiang could be achieved only by developing the far-western region’s economy. But in 2014 the government began to argue that for economic development to occur, stability was needed first. This small shift in wording heralded the fiercest storm.Listen to this storyYour browser does not support the element.Enjoy more audio and podcasts on iOS or Android.Authorities had long been troubled by occasional violence involving Uyghurs, a mainly Muslim ethnic group that makes up more than 40% of Xinjiang’s population of 26m. Over the past five years China has demolished …
