China's Xinjiang Selects Officials from Among Ethnic MinoritiesChina's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has decided to select eight bureau-level officials through competitive examinations, with half of the positions destined for ethnic minority candidates.This is the first time Xinjiang introduces competitive examinations to replace the time-honored practice of appointing officials by higher authorities. The regional government will offer four positions specially to ethnic minorities, including deputy director of the region's economic and trade commission and deputy director of its tourism bureau. To bid for the positions, one must be under the age of 45 and have a good education background and relevant work experience. The applicants will take part in examinations and the regional Communist Party committee will discuss their qualifications. Xinjiang, one of the biggest autonomous regions in China, now has 1,100 bureau-level officials. Among them 40 percent are of ethnic minorities, including Uygurs and Kazaks. |
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