The&nbsp;Uighurs being subjected to atrocities in China's&nbsp;Xinjiang region has once again been highlighted as China's biggest and recent coronavirus outbreak has been linked to the camps in which the community is subjected to forced labour.

More than 180 coronavirus cases have been reported in the last week. All these cases have been recorded in&nbsp;Shufu county, in southern Xinjiang and have been traced to a factory which was established in 2018 as a part of the Chinese government's plan of&nbsp;"poverty alleviation".

As per the locals, the factory in question is a "satellite factory" that produces clothing, curtains and bedding and employs nearly 300 workers, out of which majority are women workers, working for a daily wage of maximum&nbsp;90 yuan (about £10).

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pompeo-says-china-treatment-of-uighurs-gravest-threat-to-religious-freedom-338812">Also read|&nbsp;Pompeo says China treatment of Uighurs 'gravest threat' to religious freedom</a>

“This is a village factory that is part of the scheme to put all adult Uighurs and related minorities into low-skilled factory work as part of poverty alleviation,” said Adrian Zenz, a researcher focused on Xinjiang who has analysed public documents and official language related to the programme.

This is not the first time the atrocities of the Chinese government have been highlighted. Earlier, too, experts and international organisations have criticised the&nbsp;"poverty alleviation" programmes, labelling them as 'coercive' and 'inhumane'. The Chinese government claims that under this scheme,&nbsp;Uighurs and other Muslim minorities in the far-western region are provided with a work placement opportunity. However, the experts seem to believe that this 'opportunity' is mandatory and majorly forced labour, rather than an option.

“Clearly, ‘industry-based poverty alleviation’ is not voluntary but mandatory. Those who resist being ‘alleviated’ from their poverty are subjected to ideological education so that their thinking aligns with the state’s goals,” he said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-coronavirus-outbreak-detected-in-chinas-kashgar-city-337973">Also read|&nbsp;New coronavirus outbreak detected in China's Kashgar city</a>

In the recent case, the region has reported 183 coronavirus infections out of which&nbsp;138 patients were asymptomatic and three have been reported to be in a critical situation and are undergoing treatment. The authorities have claimed that the outbreak started from a 17-year-old girl who had&nbsp;eaten dinner with her parents at Shuchang and works at the factory. The young girl, reportedly, belongs to a nearby village as returns home after every two weeks as she mainly resides in the&nbsp;factory dormitory.

China has time and again been criticised for its inhumane treatment of the&nbsp;Uighur residents in the&nbsp;Xinjiang region. The restrictive release of information has only raised concerns of the human rights activists, leading to many organisations cutting their ties from the production factories accused of indulging in forced labour. The activists have also urged international organisations to help the minority communities and had earlier, too, earned them of a 'wartime' situation in the region due to a possible outbreak of the deadly coronavirus.

The Uighurs being subjected to atrocities in China's Xinjiang region has once again been highlighted as China's biggest and recent coronavirus outbreak has been linked to the camps in which the community is subjected to forced labour.

The Uighurs being subjected to atrocities in China's Xinjiang region has once again been highlighted as China's biggest and recent coronavirus outbreak has been linked to the camps in which the community is subjected to forced labour. More than 180 coronavirus cases have been reported in the last week. All these cases have been recorded in Shufu county, in southern Xinjiang and have been traced to a factory which was established in 2018 as a part of the Chinese government's plan of "poverty alleviation". As per the locals, the factory in question is a "satellite factory" that produces clothing, curtains and bedding and employs nearly 300 workers, out of which majority are women workers, working for a daily wage of maximum 90 yuan (about £10). Also read| Pompeo says China treatment of Uighurs 'gravest threat' to religious freedom “This is a village factory that is part of the scheme to put all adult Uighurs and related minorities into low-skilled factory work as part of poverty alleviation,” said Adrian Zenz, a researcher focused on Xinjiang who has analysed public documents and official language related to the programme. This is not the first time the atrocities of the Chinese government have been highlighted. Earlier, too, experts and international organisations have criticised the "poverty alleviation" programmes, labelling them as 'coercive' and 'inhumane'. The Chinese government claims that under this scheme, Uighurs and other Muslim minorities in the far-western region are provided with a work placement opportunity. However, the experts seem to believe that this 'opportunity' is mandatory and majorly forced labour, rather than an option. “Clearly, ‘industry-based poverty alleviation’ is not voluntary but mandatory. Those who resist being ‘alleviated’ from their poverty are subjected to ideological education so that their thinking aligns with the state’s goals,” he said. Also read| New coronavirus outbreak detected in China's Kashgar city In the recent case, the region has reported 183 coronavirus infections out of which 138 patients were asymptomatic and three have been reported to be in a critical situation and are undergoing treatment. The authorities have claimed that the outbreak started from a 17-year-old girl who had eaten dinner with her parents at Shuchang and works at the factory. The young girl, reportedly, belongs to a nearby village as returns home after every two weeks as she mainly resides in the factory dormitory. China has time and again been criticised for its inhumane treatment of the Uighur residents in the Xinjiang region. The restrictive release of information has only raised concerns of the human rights activists, leading to many organisations cutting their ties from the production factories accused of indulging in forced labour. The activists have also urged international organisations to help the minority communities and had earlier, too, earned them of a 'wartime' situation in the region due to a possible outbreak of the deadly coronavirus.

COVID-19 outbreak in China shows ties with forced labour in Xinjiang

When Bikamal Kaken's husband vanished during a 2017 visit to Xinjiang in northwestern China, she had good reason to believe he would not be returning home to Kazakhstan anytime soon.

But she did not anticipate just how dire his fate was, or that it would be revealed during a spat online between US and Chinese diplomats.

Rights groups at the time of Adilgazy Muqai's disappearance were sounding the alarm over a mushrooming network of facilities for the massive incarceration of mostly Muslim minority citizens in Xinjiang.

Kaken heard that her husband had fallen victim to the system. But three agonising years later, she learned he had met an even worse judgement: a nine year prison sentence for extremist crimes.

"I am so worried. The Chinese (authorities) will destroy him in jail," Kaken, a China-born ethnic Kazakh who is now a Kazakh citizen, told AFP through tears, pressing her two young daughters tightly to her body.

Beijing has robustly defended its policies in the Xinjiang region where more than one million people -- mostly Muslims from Turkic speaking groups like Uighurs and Kazakhs -- have been rounded up on vague extremism and separatism pretexts, rights groups say.

China claims the sprawling network of detention centres are vocational "training" facilities used to counter extremism where attendance is voluntary.

Yet in neighbouring Kazakhstan, 44-year-old Kaken is just one of a growing number of relatives to discover their missing family members are not in the centres as previously thought, but serving hard jail time instead.

'Full of lies'

Kaken and her husband, a retired oil worker, moved to Kazakhstan when she was pregnant with her youngest child, now three, after hearing reports that Xinjiang authorities were forcing women from minority groups to have abortions.

But 47-year-old Muqai, who had right of residency in Kazakhstan but was not a passport-holder, was lured back to his native region in May 2017 by his former employers.

They said the company pension that his family subsisted on could be cancelled if he failed to attend a meeting.

When news of Muqai's sentence finally emerged three years after his disappearance, it came from an unlikely source -- a senior diplomat of the country that had jailed him.

China's ambassador in Kazakhstan Zhang Xiao told a state-owned news outlet that Muqai was sentenced to nine years on extremism charges, and in the same interview dismissed Kaken's account of her family's ordeal, which was reprinted by the US embassy in Kazakhstan.

Her story was "full of lies, without a single sentence of truth," he told the Global Times, a Chinese newspaper.

Kaken, who sews clothes and accepts charity to pay rent for a studio apartment in the provincial town of Uzynagash, around 60 kilometres from Kazakhstan's largest city Almaty, insists her husband is innocent.

"His only crime is his Kazakh identity," she told AFP.

'Few are truly free'&nbsp;

Despite close relations between the two governments, Kazakhstan has emerged as a hub for activism against Beijing's policies in Xinjiang, where thousands of Kazakhs have family ties.&nbsp;

That was largely due to the Atajurt rights group, which posted video testimonies recorded by hundreds of Kazakhs whose relatives had gone missing in the western region.&nbsp;

The group came under pressure from Kazakh authorities, who have refused it registration, with one of its leaders only beating jail on extremism charges after foreign media coverage and public outcry.

In 2019, China began boasting that most citizens had "graduated" from the centres, after Kazakhstan said Beijing had allowed hundreds of ethnic Kazakhs with Kazakhstan residence permits to leave China and reunite with families across the border.&nbsp;

Many in Kazakhstan believe the video appeals and the media attention they attracted played a role in pressuring Beijing.

Yet Mehmet Kasikci, a doctoral student at the Arizona State University who volunteered with the group, told AFP that other Kazakhs began hearing their relatives had received jail sentences not long after this wave of releases.

"Yes, hundreds of thousands have probably been released from the camps, but few are truly free, and more importantly hundreds of thousands have also been sent to official prisons," he told AFP.&nbsp;

'Deep regrets'

Baibolat Kunbolat was among those to record testimonies in the group's offices and write letters of appeal to the Kazakh government after hearing that his 30-year-old brother, Baimurat Nauryzbek, had been interned in one of the "training" centres.&nbsp;

But he first did so in late 2019, after others had already been campaigning for more than a year.

He told AFP he had held back at first out of respect for the "neighbourly relations" between Kazakhstan and China.

His brother's ten-year sentence for inciting racial hatred was confirmed to him in February by a member of China's mission in Kazakhstan, Gu Ming, after Kunbolat resorted to picketing the consulate in Almaty to demand Nauryzbek's freedom.&nbsp;

The diplomat told Kunbolat his brother was convicted in 2018 over an internet forum post that he allegedly wrote in 2012 as well as other posts.&nbsp;

Gu also informed Kunbolat that the embassy would "engage with the Kazakhstan government to have action taken against you" if Kunbolat continued his protests, which Gu said could negatively affect Nauryzbek's "reform".

China's embassy ignored a request to confirm the correspondence via the WeChat messaging app, which Kunbolat showed to AFP.&nbsp;

"We waited almost a year (to raise Nauryzbek's case) because there were rumours that the maximum time in a camp is a year," Kunbolat said. "We deeply regret this now."

When Bikamal Kaken's husband vanished during a 2017 visit to Xinjiang in northwestern China, she had good reason to believe he would not be returning home to Kazakhstan anytime soon.

When Bikamal Kaken's husband vanished during a 2017 visit to Xinjiang in northwestern China, she had good reason to believe he would not be returning home to Kazakhstan anytime soon. But she did not anticipate just how dire his fate was, or that it would be revealed during a spat online between US and Chinese diplomats. Rights groups at the time of Adilgazy Muqai's disappearance were sounding the alarm over a mushrooming network of facilities for the massive incarceration of mostly Muslim minority citizens in Xinjiang. Kaken heard that her husband had fallen victim to the system. But three agonising years later, she learned he had met an even worse judgement: a nine year prison sentence for extremist crimes. "I am so worried. The Chinese (authorities) will destroy him in jail," Kaken, a China-born ethnic Kazakh who is now a Kazakh citizen, told AFP through tears, pressing her two young daughters tightly to her body. Beijing has robustly defended its policies in the Xinjiang region where more than one million people -- mostly Muslims from Turkic speaking groups like Uighurs and Kazakhs -- have been rounded up on vague extremism and separatism pretexts, rights groups say. China claims the sprawling network of detention centres are vocational "training" facilities used to counter extremism where attendance is voluntary. Yet in neighbouring Kazakhstan, 44-year-old Kaken is just one of a growing number of relatives to discover their missing family members are not in the centres as previously thought, but serving hard jail time instead. 'Full of lies' Kaken and her husband, a retired oil worker, moved to Kazakhstan when she was pregnant with her youngest child, now three, after hearing reports that Xinjiang authorities were forcing women from minority groups to have abortions. But 47-year-old Muqai, who had right of residency in Kazakhstan but was not a passport-holder, was lured back to his native region in May 2017 by his former employers. They said the company pension that his family subsisted on could be cancelled if he failed to attend a meeting. When news of Muqai's sentence finally emerged three years after his disappearance, it came from an unlikely source -- a senior diplomat of the country that had jailed him. China's ambassador in Kazakhstan Zhang Xiao told a state-owned news outlet that Muqai was sentenced to nine years on extremism charges, and in the same interview dismissed Kaken's account of her family's ordeal, which was reprinted by the US embassy in Kazakhstan. Her story was "full of lies, without a single sentence of truth," he told the Global Times, a Chinese newspaper. Kaken, who sews clothes and accepts charity to pay rent for a studio apartment in the provincial town of Uzynagash, around 60 kilometres from Kazakhstan's largest city Almaty, insists her husband is innocent. "His only crime is his Kazakh identity," she told AFP. 'Few are truly free' Despite close relations between the two governments, Kazakhstan has emerged as a hub for activism against Beijing's policies in Xinjiang, where thousands of Kazakhs have family ties. That was largely due to the Atajurt rights group, which posted video testimonies recorded by hundreds of Kazakhs whose relatives had gone missing in the western region. The group came under pressure from Kazakh authorities, who have refused it registration, with one of its leaders only beating jail on extremism charges after foreign media coverage and public outcry. In 2019, China began boasting that most citizens had "graduated" from the centres, after Kazakhstan said Beijing had allowed hundreds of ethnic Kazakhs with Kazakhstan residence permits to leave China and reunite with families across the border. Many in Kazakhstan believe the video appeals and the media attention they attracted played a role in pressuring Beijing. Yet Mehmet Kasikci, a doctoral student at the Arizona State University who volunteered with the group, told AFP that other Kazakhs began hearing their relatives had received jail sentences not long after this wave of releases. "Yes, hundreds of thousands have probably been released from the camps, but few are truly free, and more importantly hundreds of thousands have also been sent to official prisons," he told AFP. 'Deep regrets' Baibolat Kunbolat was among those to record testimonies in the group's offices and write letters of appeal to the Kazakh government after hearing that his 30-year-old brother, Baimurat Nauryzbek, had been interned in one of the "training" centres. But he first did so in late 2019, after others had already been campaigning for more than a year. He told AFP he had held back at first out of respect for the "neighbourly relations" between Kazakhstan and China. His brother's ten-year sentence for inciting racial hatred was confirmed to him in February by a member of China's mission in Kazakhstan, Gu Ming, after Kunbolat resorted to picketing the consulate in Almaty to demand Nauryzbek's freedom. The diplomat told Kunbolat his brother was convicted in 2018 over an internet forum post that he allegedly wrote in 2012 as well as other posts. Gu also informed Kunbolat that the embassy would "engage with the Kazakhstan government to have action taken against you" if Kunbolat continued his protests, which Gu said could negatively affect Nauryzbek's "reform". China's embassy ignored a request to confirm the correspondence via the WeChat messaging app, which Kunbolat showed to AFP. "We waited almost a year (to raise Nauryzbek's case) because there were rumours that the maximum time in a camp is a year," Kunbolat said. "We deeply regret this now."

Kazakhs despair for relatives missing in Xinjiang

China reported 34 cases of the new coronavirus in the mainland for July 24, up from 21 cases a day earlier, the health commission said on Saturday.

Of the new infections, 20 were in&nbsp;Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region&nbsp;Xinjiang, according to a statement by the National Health Commission.

Speaking at a press conference held on Friday afternoon, Yasim Sadiq, the mayor of Urumqi, said the city has not yet considered an adjustment to the anti-coronavirus measures.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinas-border-row-template-russia-in-1969-galwan-in-2020-315792">China's border row template: Russia in 1969, Galwan in 2020</a>

"Based on the experience gained domestically and from other countries as well as epidemiological patterns, asymptomatic cases will become confirmed cases so currently it is very important to conduct free COVID-19 nucleic acid tests to all citizens in a timely manner,''&nbsp;said the mayor.

The expert team from the State Council, medical professionals of the autonomous region, and of Urumqi City will look into the results of the nucleic acid tests and epidemiological survey results before they make a further evaluation of the spread of the virus," he added.

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He explained that a rash change of the anti-epidemic measures might have a negative effect, and the city authorities will spare no efforts to improve testing capacity.

During the press conference an official from the local commerce bureau gave a brief on food prices, saying that the supply of daily necessities is stable.

"So far, there is an ample supply of vegetables, meat, grain and edible oil in the city. The wholesale price of common meat products and 60 kinds of common vegetables have returned to normal prices before the latest outbreak took place," said Yan Jun, director of the Bureau of Commerce (Bureau of Grain) of Urumqi City.

Since the virus first surfaced in the central city of Wuhan late last year, the country's official number of infections has been restricted to a trickle, mainly among arrivals from abroad. All mass lockdowns have been lifted.

But recent domestic outbreaks have proved the difficulty of stamping out the contagion entirely.

The regional capital city has tested over 2.3 million people for COVID-19 with nucleic acid tests, according to a press conference held Friday by the regional information office.

China reported 74 new asymptomatic cases, up from 43 a day earlier.&nbsp;As of Friday, mainland China had 83,784 confirmed coronavirus cases, the health authority said. The COVID-19 death toll remained at 4,634.

China reported 34 cases of the new coronavirus in the mainland for July 24, up from 21 cases a day earlier, the health commission said on Saturday. Of the new infections, 20 were in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Xinjiang, according to a statement by the National Health Commission.

China reported 34 cases of the new coronavirus in the mainland for July 24, up from 21 cases a day earlier, the health commission said on Saturday. Of the new infections, 20 were in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Xinjiang, according to a statement by the National Health Commission. Speaking at a press conference held on Friday afternoon, Yasim Sadiq, the mayor of Urumqi, said the city has not yet considered an adjustment to the anti-coronavirus measures. Also read: China's border row template: Russia in 1969, Galwan in 2020 "Based on the experience gained domestically and from other countries as well as epidemiological patterns, asymptomatic cases will become confirmed cases so currently it is very important to conduct free COVID-19 nucleic acid tests to all citizens in a timely manner,'' said the mayor. The expert team from the State Council, medical professionals of the autonomous region, and of Urumqi City will look into the results of the nucleic acid tests and epidemiological survey results before they make a further evaluation of the spread of the virus," he added. Also read: After virus upheaval, China strikes deal with Pakistan to make bioweapons He explained that a rash change of the anti-epidemic measures might have a negative effect, and the city authorities will spare no efforts to improve testing capacity. During the press conference an official from the local commerce bureau gave a brief on food prices, saying that the supply of daily necessities is stable. "So far, there is an ample supply of vegetables, meat, grain and edible oil in the city. The wholesale price of common meat products and 60 kinds of common vegetables have returned to normal prices before the latest outbreak took place," said Yan Jun, director of the Bureau of Commerce (Bureau of Grain) of Urumqi City. Since the virus first surfaced in the central city of Wuhan late last year, the country's official number of infections has been restricted to a trickle, mainly among arrivals from abroad. All mass lockdowns have been lifted. But recent domestic outbreaks have proved the difficulty of stamping out the contagion entirely. The regional capital city has tested over 2.3 million people for COVID-19 with nucleic acid tests, according to a press conference held Friday by the regional information office. China reported 74 new asymptomatic cases, up from 43 a day earlier. As of Friday, mainland China had 83,784 confirmed coronavirus cases, the health authority said. The COVID-19 death toll remained at 4,634.

Mainland China reports 34 new coronavirus cases, including 20 in Xinjiang

The capital of China's far-western Xinjiang region, Urumqi, has launched emergency response plan after the city reported 16 new coronavirus cases on Friday.

Including the 16 cases in Urumqi, China reported 22 new coronavirus cases in the mainland for July 17, up from 10 cases a day earlier, the health authority said on Saturday. Six others were imported cases.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/coronavirus-cluster-in-chinas-xinjiang-could-spread-in-uighur-concentration-camps-314114">Coronavirus cluster in China's Xinjiang could spread in Uighur concentration camps</a>

After the new cluster of coronavirus was found, the province canceled almost 600 flights and the air traffic was slashed by 89 per cent. All metro services have been suspended, shuttle buses to the airport have been cut off and the bus services in the neighbouring districts have been shut.

The infections were detected beginning on Wednesday, and news of the cases prompted state media outlets in Urumqi to issue assurances on Friday that supermarkets had ample stocks of food, an apparent attempt to discourage panic-buying.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/five-new-coronavirus-cases-spark-alarm-in-chinas-xinjiang-313957" hreflang="en">Five new coronavirus cases spark alarm in China's Xinjiang</a>

The new cases illustrate the continuing difficulty China faces in stamping out the contagion, which emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year before spreading throughout the country and globally.

Around half of Xinjiang's population of more than 21 million is composed of ethnic Uighurs and other Turkic Muslims, many of whom complain of decades of political and religious oppression by China's ruling Communist Party, which the government denies.

At least 1 million Uighurs are detained in the concentration camps located in the province if a new cluster breaks out in the camps, another tragedy will be upon China.

China's capital city of Beijing suffered a flare-up of coronavirus infections last month, with the government re-imposing strict control measures that were used across the country earlier in the year to stifle the first wave of infections. The measures appear to have doused the recent virus clusters in Beijing.

As of Friday, mainland China had 83,644 confirmed coronavirus cases, the health authority said. The COVID-19 death toll remained at 4,634.

The capital of China's far-western Xinjiang region, Urumqi, has launched emergency response plan after the city reported 16 new coronavirus cases on Friday. Including the 16 cases in Urumqi, China reported 22 new coronavirus cases in the mainland for July 17, up from 10 cases a day earlier, the health authority said on Saturday.

The capital of China's far-western Xinjiang region, Urumqi, has launched emergency response plan after the city reported 16 new coronavirus cases on Friday. Including the 16 cases in Urumqi, China reported 22 new coronavirus cases in the mainland for July 17, up from 10 cases a day earlier, the health authority said on Saturday. Six others were imported cases. Also read: Coronavirus cluster in China's Xinjiang could spread in Uighur concentration camps After the new cluster of coronavirus was found, the province canceled almost 600 flights and the air traffic was slashed by 89 per cent. All metro services have been suspended, shuttle buses to the airport have been cut off and the bus services in the neighbouring districts have been shut. The infections were detected beginning on Wednesday, and news of the cases prompted state media outlets in Urumqi to issue assurances on Friday that supermarkets had ample stocks of food, an apparent attempt to discourage panic-buying. Also read: Five new coronavirus cases spark alarm in China's Xinjiang The new cases illustrate the continuing difficulty China faces in stamping out the contagion, which emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year before spreading throughout the country and globally. Around half of Xinjiang's population of more than 21 million is composed of ethnic Uighurs and other Turkic Muslims, many of whom complain of decades of political and religious oppression by China's ruling Communist Party, which the government denies. At least 1 million Uighurs are detained in the concentration camps located in the province if a new cluster breaks out in the camps, another tragedy will be upon China. China's capital city of Beijing suffered a flare-up of coronavirus infections last month, with the government re-imposing strict control measures that were used across the country earlier in the year to stifle the first wave of infections. The measures appear to have doused the recent virus clusters in Beijing. As of Friday, mainland China had 83,644 confirmed coronavirus cases, the health authority said. The COVID-19 death toll remained at 4,634.

Mainland China reports 22 new coronavirus cases, including 16 in Xinjiang

The capital of China's far-western Xinjiang region curtailed most flights into the city on Friday and has shut down subway and public bus services after several coronavirus infections were detected, government authorities and state-controlled media said.

Urumqi, the capital of China's far western region of Xinjiang, reported five new coronavirus cases by noon (0400 GMT) on Friday, the regional health commission said.

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The city also reported eight new asymptomatic cases, it added, taking Xinjiang's tally to six infections and 11 asymptomatic patients.

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The infections were detected beginning on Wednesday, and news of the cases prompted state media outlets in Urumqi to issue assurances on Friday that supermarkets had ample stocks of food, an apparent attempt to discourage panic-buying.

The new cases illustrate the continuing difficulty China faces in stamping out the contagion, which emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year before spreading throughout the country and globally.

China has reported a total of more than 83,000 infections and 4,634 deaths.

Around half of Xinjiang's population of more than 21 million is composed of ethnic Uighurs and other Turkic Muslims, many of whom complain of decades of political and religious oppression by China's ruling Communist Party, which the government denies.

The capital of China's far-western Xinjiang region curtailed most flights into the city on Friday and has shut down subway and public bus services after several coronavirus infections were detected, government authorities and state-controlled media said.

The capital of China's far-western Xinjiang region curtailed most flights into the city on Friday and has shut down subway and public bus services after several coronavirus infections were detected, government authorities and state-controlled media said. Urumqi, the capital of China's far western region of Xinjiang, reported five new coronavirus cases by noon (0400 GMT) on Friday, the regional health commission said. The city also reported eight new asymptomatic cases, it added, taking Xinjiang's tally to six infections and 11 asymptomatic patients. Also read: It's time to push back against challenge posed by China: Pompeo The infections were detected beginning on Wednesday, and news of the cases prompted state media outlets in Urumqi to issue assurances on Friday that supermarkets had ample stocks of food, an apparent attempt to discourage panic-buying. The new cases illustrate the continuing difficulty China faces in stamping out the contagion, which emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year before spreading throughout the country and globally. China has reported a total of more than 83,000 infections and 4,634 deaths. Around half of Xinjiang's population of more than 21 million is composed of ethnic Uighurs and other Turkic Muslims, many of whom complain of decades of political and religious oppression by China's ruling Communist Party, which the government denies.

Five new coronavirus cases spark alarm in China's Xinjiang