Xu Jianying, a researcher with the Institute of Chinese Borderland Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, agrees that religious extremism and separatism had once blinded some people, preventing them from following their own ideas or pursuing their life goals.
"Xinjiang is a region full of energy and vitality," says Xu, adding that many young people are now benefiting from the internet era and modernization with internet business developing rapidly in the region.
