Letters | Can Hong Kong safeguard its Belt and Road Initiative investments?
Readers discuss the city’s ties to Xinjiang, and the benefits of young people working abroad
![A gardener waters the grass near the logo for the Belt and Road Forum at the China National Convention Center in Beijing, on October 16, 2023. Photo: AP](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/1020x680/public/d8/images/canvas/2025/01/27/f22793b6-a0a5-466a-b7ee-2fd076f4a483_bf8834e3.jpg?itok=53-2XiEv&v=1737972334)
The separatist Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP) said in a statement that the commander of its forces, a Chinese Uygur militant, was appointed a brigadier-general. This has been confirmed by a Syrian military source. The statement also said two other Uygur fighters received the rank of colonel. China labels the TIP a terrorist organisation responsible for plots to attack overseas Chinese targets.
A bigger worry is the large number of Chinese state-owned enterprises that have business investments and operations in Central Asian countries immediately bordering Xinjiang that have been subject to militant action for many years. These businesses and their workers have taken up the task of turning the Belt and Road Initiative into reality.
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