Separatists can never split region

The history of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region is an integral and important part of China's history, which shows that stability is a prerequisite for the region's development and prosperity and in the interest of all ethnic groups.

Yet separatists have been making desperate efforts to exaggerate the differences among the ethnic groups and foment trouble, in a bid to sever Xinjiang's cultural links with the rest of China and split the region from the country.

Xinjiang has been a part of China since the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220). All the following dynasties regarded the region as an inalienable part of the country. Members of all ethnic groups living in Xinjiang are part of the Chinese nation. They have not only formed close ties with each other but also strengthened the bond with the rest of the country. With the passage of time, this bond has become unbreakable.

All ethnic groups in Xinjiang have made important contributions to the development, stability and peace of the region, and have developed a sense of community with a shared future through their intensive interactions and exchanges with each other.

Moreover, Xinjiang has been a gateway for China's opening-up to the West, and a melting pot of peoples, cultures and civilizations, promoting the exchange of ideas and technologies.

Large numbers of tangible and intangible cultural heritages in Xinjiang are priceless treasures of the whole nation. Also, Xinjiang's cultural and religious diversity is an important component of Chinese culture that is cherished by all ethnic groups.

The different ethnic groups in Xinjiang have fought together with the rest of the country against foreign invaders and colonial powers since the mid-19th century, which helped them further strengthen their bond with the motherland.

Against this backdrop, all ethnic groups and religions have coexisted harmoniously in Xinjiang, forming an inclusive society based on mutual respect and mutual learning. As for religious freedom in Xinjiang, it is strictly protected by law, as it is the foundation for the region's peace and stability.

Xinjiang's history is proof of the strong cultural ties between Xinjiang residents and the people in the rest of China, and shows how absurd and baseless the separatists' views are.

The author is deputy director of the publicity department of the Xinjiang Committee of the Communist Party of China.