Page 128 - Communist Chinas Policy of Oppression in East Turkestan

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E ast Turkestan's gold, oil
and other minerals are
transferred to China, and
the use of these natural
resources is totally
under the control of the
communist Chinese gov-
ernment.

that China's other regions possess little copper, and that which exists is
insufficient to meet the country's needs. The rich copper deposits in
East Turkestan make the region even more important in Chinese eyes. 12
Alongside these mines, the fact that East Turkestan is one of
China's largest producers of cotton is another reason why China re-
gards the area as important. The Red Chinese administration is unwill-
ing to hand over the production of cotton, the raw material of the
Chinese textile industry, to the Muslim Uighurs, and constantly devel-
ops new strategies to maintain control over the region. The aim behind
these strategies, which we shall be examining in detail in later chapters,

Communist China’s Policy
of Oppression in East Turkestan